HON.  FREDERICK  MONCREIFF 


(n  a-^  <\J a,^-^-^^-^      ,  X^--^ 


L    /^.// 


THE    X    JEWEL 


A  SCOTTISH  ROMANCE   OF  THE  DAYS  OF 
JAMES  VI. 


HON.  FREDERICK  MONCREIFF 


N  E  W     YORK 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS    PUBLISHERS 

1896 


y 


Copyright,  1806,  by  IlAUPrR  *fc  Brotuees. 

Alt  rights  reserved. 


THE    X    JEAYEL 


CHAPTER  1 

T  WAS  brought  out  of  the  Loav  Countries  into 
Scothmd  in  the  year  15S5 — by  whom  I  need  not 
to  say  here.  For  though  it  is  now  more  than 
twenty  years  since  the  things  I  speak  of  passed, 
and  they  are  forgotten  by  some  who  might  have 
remembered  them,  there  are  others  still  in  life 
who  remember  but  may  not  wish  them  to  be 
stirred.  This,  however,  can  I  say :  that  my 
coming  back  was  known  to  one  who  required 
it,  and  whose  wish  it  was  scarce  possible  for  me 
to  pass  by. 

So,  on  the  3d  of  May  in  the  above  year,  hav- 
ing made  a  quick  passage  from  the  Scheldt  on 
a  quiet  sea,  I  landed  at  the  Fastcastle,  near  to 
Eyemouth,  at  eight  hours  of  the  morning.  And 
glad  indeed  was  I  that  morning  when  I  jumped 
ou  to  the  jetty  and  ran  up  the  steps  leading  to 


the  keep,  which,  as  many  kno^v,  are  cut  from 
the  rock,  and  not  easy  to  be  found, 

I  was  glad — what  else  should  I  be  ?  I  had  the 
yearning  for  my  native  land  which  is  common 
to  my  race,  and  I  had  no  great  heart  to  remain 
in  the  service  I  had  kept  for  the  greater  part  of 
ten  years.  Monsieur  was  gone ;  the  Poor  Frog 
of  the  Queen  of  England  was  dead  of  a  fever. 
The  Prince  of  Orange  was  dead  by  the  bullet  of 
Balthasar  Gerard,  a  mean  fanatic  and  hired  as- 
sassin. For  this  Prince  lived  at  a  time  not  yet 
distant  when  money  and  patents  of  nobility  were 
given  for  the  doing  of  murder.  The  Pope,  for 
whom  my  Pastors  have  many  injurious  words, 
naming  him  Antichrist  and  that  Man  of  Sin, 
offered  his  rewards  openly — even  as  he  might 
send  the  crier  about  for  a  lost  dog.  But  when 
the  English  Harry,  or  the  Queen  his  daughter, 
had  a  mind  to  the  removal  of  a  troublesome 
person,  tlic}^  handled  the  matter  with  some  de- 
cency through  the  medium  of  an  ambassador  or 
envoy,  though  they  paid  not  as  handsomely  as 
the  Pope. 

When  the  Prince  fell  the  life  of  the  cause  in 
the  States  seemed  to  die,  and  to  none  Avas  this 
so  much  due  as  to  the  termagant  who  misgov- 
erned England.  Surely  there  was  scarce  an  evil 
thing  done  either  in  the  Low  Countries  or  my 


native  Scotland  which  she  had  not  lal^ored  to 
bring  about.  Her  ambassadors  came  to  Edin- 
burgh witli  instructions  to  make  it  impossible  to 
govern  the  country,  to  set  one  interest  against 
another,  and  to  lie  to  all  —  to  King,  Council, 
Ministers,  Nobility,  and  Barons.  Nobod}^  should 
know  this  better  than  I ;  but,  if  the  commonty 
had  known  the  truth,  I  fairly  believe  that  they 
would  have  flayed  the  English  ambassador  alive 
in  the  Grassmarket  and  sent  his  skin  to  his  mis- 
tress. This  and  much  more  might  they  have 
done  at  that  time  with  impunity ;  for  if  the 
Queen  of  England  feared  nothing  else,  she  did 
fear  a  Avar  Tvith  the  Scots. 

I  left  a  service  which  had  been  kind  to  me, 
and  I  had  heard  from  those  who  had  the  best 
reasons  for  knowing  that  I  was  returning  to  a 
land  "  where  nane  was  in  account  but  he  that 
could  either  kill  or  reve  his  neighbor."  "Well,  I 
could  kill  and  reve  with  the  best  of  them — in  a 
good  cause,  be  it  said.     It  was  my  trade. 

In  the  keen  morning  air  I  ran  quickly  up  the 
steps  leading  from  the  jetty,  so  that  I  was  forced 
to  stay  for  breath  before  I  had  compassed  half 
of  the  distance  —  in  faith,  an  evil  ])lace.  The 
cliffs,  which  are  very  high  on  this  coast,  go  down 
almost  sheer  into  the  sea.  At  one  part,  where  a 
point  juts  out  into  the  North  Sea,  there  is  a  ])lat- 


form  half-way  down  the  diff,  which  is  reached 
from  the  jetty  below  by  a  flight  of  steps  cut  out 
of  the  rock.  On  this  platform  stands  Fastcastle, 
and  half-Avay  up  the  steps  to  it  on  this  May 
morning  stood  I,  panting  for  breath  and  look- 
ing down  upon  the  many-colored  sea. 

As  I  stood,  my  head  swimming  somewhat  with 
the  exertion  of  running  after  being  cramped  in 
the  boat,  the  voice  as  of  one  singing  came  up  to 
me  out  of  the  sea.  It  came  dimly,  as  from  a 
great  distance ;  if  so  I  may  say,  it  struggled  to 
me;  but  the  words  were  not  the  less  plain  to 
be  heard,  and  what  I  heard  and  remember  was 
somewhat  to  the  following  purpose: 

"Five  fiithom  deep, 

Beneath  the  keep, 
Not  forgotten,  not  forgiving  ; 
Better  to  be  loose  and  living 

Upon  the  sea 

Than  bide  with  me." 

Kow  it  may  be  that  I  was  in  some  measure 
oppressed  by  the  weird  aspect  of  the  place.  But 
there  is  no  Scotsman  who  does  not  know  the 
meaning  of  "'loose  and  living"  as  well  as  he 
knows  the  name  of  Douglas.  So  it  came  to  pass 
that  I,  who  have  never  rejected  these  messages 
of  God,  went  down  the  ste]«  more  quickly  than 
1  came  up  and  stopped   the  disembarkation  of 


my  baggage,  resolved  that  on  no  consideration 
would  I  land  at  the  Fastcastle. 

I  had  no  sooner  done  this  tlian  one  came  down 
from  the  castle  whom  I  believed  to  be  tlie  Laiixl 
of  Lundygrange,  the  keeper  or  owner  of  the 
place  ;  but  as  I  never  saw  him  before  or  after- 
wards, I  cannot  speak  of  this  with  certainty.  I 
had  reason  to  believe  that  this  man  would  both 
allow  me  to  land  and  assist  me  with  horses  for 
my  journey  to  Edinburgh,  but  now  I  was  no 
lono-er  willino-  to  trust  him. 

"  I  believe  I  have  the  pleasure  to  welcome  to 
my  poor  castle  the  Colonel  Andrew  Eviot,"  said 
be,  saluting  me  with  much  courtesy. 

"Excuse  me,  Laird,"  I  replied ;  '•  I  am  but  sim- 
ple Capitaine,  and  great  as  is  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing you  and  your  hospitable  castle,  I  am  sorry 
my  business  requires  that  I  should  push  on  to 
Edinburgh  without  delay.  Indeed,  I  trust  you 
will  furnish  me  with  horses  to  transport  myself 
and  my  servants." 

"  Impossible ;  quite  im])ossible.  Horses  are 
at  the  moment  the  most  expensive  and  most  val- 
uable possession  a  man  can  have  in  Scotland. 
They  are  hardly  come  by,  and  I  have  not  enough 
for  my  own  service.  You  had  better  stay  a  few 
days  with  me  and  look  about  you — the  coast  is 
very  fine  and  the  air  bracing." 


"  Xay,"  said  I,  after  thanking  him  profusely 
for  his  offer  of  hospitalit}^  "  if  I  may  not  ride,  I 
must  walk ;''  and  1  looked  resolute,  for  I  Avould 
compel  him  to  show  his  hand.  Whereupon  he 
gazed  somewhat  sadly  and  sympathetically  at 
me,  and  said : 

"  You  had  better  stay  ;  believe  me,  sir,  the  air 
of  Edinburgh  may  not  be  good  for  you  just  now." 

"  Good  or  bad,  I'm  going  to  test  it." 

"Kay,  nay,"  he  returned,  irritabl\%  "it  is  the 
King's  opinion,  not  mine."  He  spoke  as  one 
who  had  been  reluctantly  compelled  to  tell  a  dis- 
agreeable fact,  but  I  felt  that  1  held  him  com- 
mitted. 

"  If  so  the  King  wishes  it  to  be,  you  doubtless 
have  his  warrant,  and  I  shall  crave  a  sight  of  it." 

"  I  have  what  is  as  good — the  Chancellor's 
letter,  in  which  he  says  that  he  holds  the  King's 
commission." 

"  The  Chancellor,  forsooth  !"  cried  I.  "  Cap- 
tain James?  You  may  tell  Captain  James  that 
I  obey  the  King  first,  and  after  him  I  may  think 
of  obeying  the  Chancellor." 

At  this  my  man's  eyes  opened  very  wide,  as  if 
he  had  been  listening  to  some  astounding  blas- 
phemy and  could  not  believe  his  ears.  Now  my 
experience  had  taught  me  that  in  interviews 
which  may  end  in  "  inconvenients,"  a  man  should 


cast  his  eyes  about  betimes,  and  know  what  he 
is  going  to  do  when  the  rub  comes.  In  this  case 
I  saw  very  clearly  what  I  had  to  do.  Going 
close  up  to  the  Laird,  so  close  tiiat  by  putting 
forth  his  hand  he  could  touch  me  and  no  more, 
I  looked  earnestly  in  his  eyes. 

"  Friend  Lundygrange,"  said  I,  "  ye  are  but  a 
poor  bungler,  and  were  I  not  in  a  hurry  I  should 
pull  the  lugs  off  your  head.  It  is  not  for  such 
as  ye  to  meddle  with  things  of  Estate.  They 
are  ticklish  enough  for  those  whom  God  has  fur- 
nished with  brains  to  their  heads,  but  they  will 
grind  the  Laird  of  Lundygrange  and  his  like 
to  powder.  Ye  mislike  that  I  call  ye  bungler. 
What  are  ye,  then,  that  having  yon  message  for 
me  kept  it  not  until  I  was  within  your  walls  ? 
Whereas  now,  look  ye,  I  shall  simply  go  aboard 
again,  and,  bidding  adieu  to  this  inhospitable 
place,  commend  ye  to  the  mercies  of  Captain 
James." 

Thereupon  it  fell  out  as  I  thought.  Being  a 
stout  man,  and  seeing  me  within  his  grasp,  the 
Laird  reached  forth  his  hand  to  seize  me  by  the 
neck  of  the  corselet.  When  his  hand  was  about 
an  inch  from  my  neck,  I  struck  him  a  blow  with 
my  gauntleted  hand  on  the  chest,  which  placed 
him  upon  a  heap  of  mackerel  lying  some  paces 
in  his  rear.     God  made  my  arms  longer  than 


they  ought  by  rights  to  be.  But  the  keeper  of 
Fastcastle  knew  not  that,  nor  that  in  the  States 
I  was  surnamed  the  iron-armed,  else  the  result 
might  have  been  different. 

As  it  was,  the  few  men  who  had  followed  him 
down  from  the  keep  were  lightly  armed,  and  as 
they  received  no  orders  from  their  master,  who 
was  for  the  moment  unable  to  give  any,  they 
concerned  themselves  in  picking  him  out  of  the 
dirt.  In  the  meantime  I  went  on  board  unmo- 
lested, and  had  no  difficulty  in  persuading  my 
skipper  to  land  me  at  Berwick. 

This  change  of  plan  was  somewhat  embarrass- 
ing, because  the  English  were  chary  of  passing 
anybody  into  Scotland.  There  were  in  London, 
Newcastle,  and  Berwick  banished  Lords  and  ban- 
ished Ministers,  and  many  other  banished  Scots 
who  were  neither  Ministers  nor  Lords.  And 
the  Amity  between  the  Courts  of  London  and 
Edinburgh  required  that  the  English  authorities 
should  give  no  open  countenance  to  those  who 
passed  backward  and  forward  between  the  exiles 
and  their  friends  in  Scotland. 

Moreover,  in  order  to  reach  Berwick,  we  had 
to  pass  Alexander  Home  of  Manderston,  who 
watched  for  little  ships  as  a  spider  watches  for 
flies,  and  but  lately  had  taken  a  boat  belonging 
to  the  Earl  of  Angus  cominc  from  Tantallon  to 


Berwick.  Nevertheless  did  we  clear  out  from 
the  Fastcastle  amid  great  noise  from  the  fowls 
upon  the  ci'ag  and  witli  a  bow  to  the  keeper  of 
the  place.  Then  turning  our  backs  to  the  Law 
of  North  Berwick  and  the  Bass  Ilociv — it  was  a 
clear  morning,  and  I  saw  both  very  plainly — we 
made  for  l>erwick.  There  I  found  those  who 
had  interest  enough  to  pass  me  unnoticed  through 
the  English  posts,  and  to  furnish  me  so  effectu- 
ally with  what  I  required  that  early  next  morn- 
ing, accompanied  by  David  Carryg  and  another 
named  John  Sloan,  I  rode  past  the  tennis-court 
to  the  north  of  Ilolyroodhouse,  and  into  Edin- 
burgh by  the  Watergate,  marking  the  time  on 
the  horologe  in  the  King's  Garden  to  be  six 
hours.  And  so,  once  more,  after  long  years,  was 
I  within  thy  walls,  O  most  beautiful  and  most 
filthy  of  cities !  where  the  butchers  hang  out 
upon  the  street  the  hides  of  the  meat  they  have 
killed,  where  the  kennel  runs  with  the  garbage 
of  vegetables  and  all  manner  of  refuse,  and  the 
blood  of  last  night's  brawl  lies  damp  upon  the 
causeway.  Yet,  for  all  thy  dirty  face,  I  would 
not  have  been  elsewhere ;  and  so  hungry  was  I 
that  I  could  almost  have  eaten  the  landlord  of 
Eobertson's  Inns. 


CHAPTER  II 

I  CAKED  little  for  the  scuffle  on  the  pier-head 
at  the  Fastcastle,  but  the  reception  I  met  with 
in  Edinburgh  fairly  took  me  aback.  I  came 
home  in  the  belief  that — it  might  be  quietly  and 
not  officially — some  honorable  service  would  be 
required  of  me,  and  before  I  had  been  three 
hours  in  Edinburgh  I  was  served  with  a  per- 
emptory notice  to  appear  before  the  Council  at 
eleven  o'clock. 

I  had  dressed  myself  with  care,  purposing  to 
seek  out  the  lodging  of  the  Colonel  Stewart, 
whom  his  Highness  greatly  affected  at  this  time, 
so  that  the  messenger  of  the  Council  had  the 
benefit  of  my  brigandine  jacket  with  its  facings 
of  velvet  and  silk,  which  was  lined  in  the  inside 
with  steel  scales.  He  beheld,  moreover,  my 
hose,  which  lay  loose  round  the  hips,  and  fitting 
tight  to  the  knees,  were  tied  below  with  bows. 
Ilis  notice,  however,  caused  me  at  once  to  forget 
these  little  vanities,  for  I  marvelled  at  it  not  a 
little.  But  when  the  messenger  had  gone,  my 
host,  who  was  better  acquainted  with  his  office 


11 


than  I  was,  inquired  in  a  whisper  whether  I  was 
for  Antichrist  or  Mr.  Andrew  Melvill. 

"  Saunders,"  says  I,  "  why  think  you  that  the 
Council  would  only  stretch  forth  its  hand  against 
the  followers  of  these  two  ?" 

"  I  think  so  because  there  is  nothing  so  peril- 
ous as  religion.  Eh !  man — may  God  forgie  me  ! 
— but  I  could  drive  a  grand  trade  in  this  sinful 
auld  toun  if  it  werena  for  religion.  It's  swarm- 
ing wi'  men  wi'  maisters,  and — what's  waur — 
men  wanting  maisters;  but  a  body  canna  get 
peace  to  entertain  them." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  man?" 

"  Weel,  sir,  I'm  speaking  not  of  my  own  re- 
ligious opeenions,  which  are  sound  enough,  but 
of  those  of  other  folk.  There  are  plenty  of 
loons  in  this  toun  with  faces  long  enough  to 
turn  a  cup  of  ale  sour,  who  would  put  the 
Bailie  of  the  ward  on  to  me  for  harboring  you — 
alwaj's  supposing  you  were  a  Papist.  And  al- 
though the  Bailie  liath  prosecuted  no  man  these 
ten  years — as  ye  can  see  by  the  state  of  the 
causeway — he  would  have  to  move  against  me. 
I  would  maybe  be  finit,  or  deprivit  of  my  license 
to  import  wines  from  Bordeaux  or  Oporto.  Or 
if  they  were  mindit  to  carry  things  Avith  a  high 
hand,  I  might  be  cast  into  the  Thieves'  Hole  for 
a  twalmonth,  and  booted  before  I  would  win  out.'' 


12 


"  Aye  ;  and  if  I  were  for  Mr.  Andrew  ?" 

To  my  surprise  Saunders  made  no  reply  to 
this,  but  looked  moodily  on  the  ground,  as  if  he 
had  heard  not.  On  my  repeating  the  question 
he  tried  out  of  courtesy  to  his  guest  to  smile,  but 
it  was  a  wan,  foolish,  sickly  smile,  and  he  looked 
again  upon  the  ground.  At  last  he  said,  with 
some  earnestness  :  "  Ye'd  maybe  not  notice  that 
ye're  summoned  for  eleven  o'clock,  whereas  it's 
weel  kenned  that  the  Council  rises  at  eleven, 
and  does  not  sit  again  till  two  in  the  afternoon. 
l^ow  if  ye  are  a  friend  of  Mr.  Andrew's  I  would 
beseech  ye  to  have  3"our  horses  saddled  at  once 
and  brought  to  the  foot  of  my  garden.  Ye  could 
go  by  the  Back  of  the  Canongate,  through  the 
Kirk-of-Field  Port,  to  the  fields,  and  a  few  hours' 
ride  would  bring  ye  to  the  wild  Earl  of  Both- 
w^ell's  country." 

"No,  Saunders,  I  shall  bide  my  chance.  I 
mean  not  to  cut  or  burn  for  either  Mr.  Andrew 
or  Archbishop  Adamson." 

"It's  easy  seen,"  grumbled  Saunders,  "that 
ye  ken  naething  about  this  country  that  speir  at 
me  that  gate,  and  flee  at  my  nose  when  I  answer 
ye.  Dinna  ye  ken  that  the  Earl  of  Arran,  him 
that  was  Captain  James  Stewart,  holds  the  sway 
down  yonder?"  (Here  he  w^aved  his  hand  com- 
prehensively towards  the  east.)    "There  is  nane 


13 


to  say  Nay  to  him  if  it  be  not  his  brother,  the 
Colonel.  They  say  the  Colonel  is  very  inward 
with  his  Highness.  It  seems  but  yesterday  that 
the  Earl  made  his  peace  with  the  Kirk  and  Avent 
regularl}''  to  the  sermon,  very  humble  in  appear- 
ance and  devout.  There  was  to  be  an  end  of 
the  feud  between  the  Kirk  and  the  Council,  but 
it  a'  ended  in  smoke.  One  fine  morning  it  was 
fund  that  the  Ministers  —  them  as  were  imco 
guid,  or,  as  ye  might  term  them,  Puritans — had 
gone  south  on  very  urgent  business,  and  to  this 
day  they  are  going  to  and  fro  upon  the  face  of 
England  seeking  rest  for  the  soles  of  their  feet." 
This  was  not  news  to  me.  The  King,  who 
was  but  a  lad  eighteen  years  of  age,  was  said  to 
be  ruled  by  the  Earl  of  Arran.  This  so-called 
Earl,  by  name  James  Stewart,  was  a  younger 
son  of  his  house,  who,  having  spent  some  time 
as  a  soldier  of  fortune  in  Sweden  and  the  Low 
Countries,  came  home  and  rose  into  great  favor 
with  the  King.  By  some  fantastic  claim  he  dis- 
possessed the  Hamiltons  of  the  earldom  of  Arran, 
and  gatliered  to  himself  I  know  not  what  offices 
of  trust  and  value.  If  my  memory  fails  me  not, 
he  was  at  this  time  High  Chancellor,  Governor 
of  Edinburgh  and  Stirling  Castles,  Provost  of 
Edinburgh,  Captain  of  the  Guard,  President  of 
the  Council,  and  Lieutenant-general  of  Scotland. 


14 


Sucli  distinctions  are  not  in  my  country  gathered 
by  a  mushroom  nobleman  without  interfering 
with  other  folk ;  so  it  came  about  that  there 
were  sundry  factions  eating  out  their  hearts  in 
England  and  waiting  for  a  chance  to  end  the 
sway,  or  the  life,  of  Captain  James — that  is  to 
say,  the  factions  of  the  Ilamiltons  and  Douglases, 
the  Ruthven  Lords,  as  the}^  were  called,  and  the 
Presbyterian  Ministers,  who  styled  themselves 
sometimes  the  Kirk  and  sometimes  the  Saints  of 
God.  These,  packing  up  their  feuds,  made  a 
combination  so  strong  that  the  Earl  of  Arran 
was  constrained  to  pray  for  the  help  of  the  Queen 
of  England  or  the  King  of  France.  But  none 
could  say  from  which  quarter  the  help  might 
come ;  and  inasmuch  as  one  of  those  monarchs 
was  a  Roman  and  the  other  of  the  Reformed 
Religion  the  choice  of  Popery  or  Presbytery 
seemed  for  the  moment  to  hang  upon  a  throw 
of  the  dice. 

Now  the  Earl  had,  as  I  have  said,  a  brother 
who  was  known  to  all  Scotland  as  the  Colonel 
or  Coronall.  Some  called  him  the  Crownal. 
And  I,  having  dressed  myself  with  great  care, 
was  about  to  go  in  search  of  the  lodging  of  this 
same  Colonel  when  Saunders  Robertson  inter- 
rupted me.  I  knew  him  for  a  true  Scot  and  a 
good  soldier,  and  1  doubted  not  that  for  old  ac- 


quaintance  he  would  lind  for  me  at  least  a  formal 
introduction  to  the  Court.  l>ut  ho  knew  not 
Avhy  I  had  come  into  Scotland,  nor  did  I  design 
to  tell  him ;  and  that  for  two  reasons.  The 
Colonel  had  taken  to  affairs  of  State,  and  it  be- 
hooved him  to  "  run  a  course,"  as  they  say,  which 
might  be  his  brother's,  and  Avould  probably  not 
be  mine.  In  the  second  place,  I  had  not  much 
to  tell,  for  I  had  trusted  rather  to  the  weight  of 
those  who  sought  me  than  to  the  information 
they  gave.  In  short,  it  was  thought  that,  if  it 
were  known  at  whose  motion  I  came,  the  pur- 
pose of  my  coming  would  be  defeated  ;  and  as  to 
that  purpose,  I  should  be  the  less  embarrassed  in 
concealing  it  if  it  were  not  intrusted  to  me  until 
my  arrival.  My  instructions,  therefore,  were  to 
seek  an  independent  entry  to  the  Court,  and 
await  the  occasion  of  my  friends. 

And  now,  as  it  seemed,  I  Avas  to  be  intro- 
duced to  the  Court  in  a  character  I  had  scarce 
looked  for.  So,  perceiving  that  I  had  been  taken 
seriously  in  suspicion  by  some,  I  exchanged  the 
brigandine  jacket  I  was  Avearing  for  a  stout  steel 
corselet,  and  sallied  forth  with  my  two  rascals  at 
my  heels. 

I  left  these  latter  in  the  western  court  of 
Holyroodhouse,  and  gave  uj)  ni}'  sword  to  the 
oihcer  of  the  guard — for  such  was  the  custom  at 


16 


this  dangerous  moment.  I  was  then  carried  to 
the  southeastern  corner  of  the  second  court,  and 
caused  to  ascend  a  turnpike  stair  which  led  from 
this  point  to  the  first  floor.  Thence  I  traversed 
a  passage  of  some  length,  and,  going  through  an 
apartment  in  which  certain  idle  persons  were 
lounging  about,  I  was  brought  into  a  chamber, 
the  windows  of  which  gave  both  to  the  north 
and  south. 

In  this  chamber  there  w^ere  five  or  six  persons. 
One  sat  at  a  table  writing,  while  another  stood 
beside  him  looking  over  his  shoulder.  A  third,  a 
younger  man,  walked  or  lounged  about  the  room, 
and  the  rest — one  of  whom  I  recognized  for  Colo- 
nel Stewart  —  stood  about  the  fireplace.  All 
wore  the  dress  then  in  vogue  at  the  Court  of 
King  James,  the  hose  being  deeply  padded  across 
the  loins  and  hips.  There  was  an  absence  of 
bright  colors,  and  these  men  clearly  wore  their 
dress — which  was  rich  enough — for  use  and  not 
for  show ;  that  of  him  wdio  perambulated  the 
room  bore  the  signs  of  wear.  Indeed,  I  might  at 
first  have  taken  this  man  for  a  Court  servitor, 
but  there  was  something-  which  forbade  that. 

Nobody  spoke,  nobody  looked  up  when  we  en- 
tered ;  not  the  slightest  notice  was  taken  of  us. 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  nfter  some  small  space,  to  the 
Groom  of  the  Chamber,  wJio  stood  beside  me,  "I 


17 


was  summoned  to  appear  before  the  Council.  This 
is  not  tlie  Council-chamber.  Are  these  erentle- 
men  of  the  Council?     This  is  not  well,  sir." 

'"Silence!"  he  whispered,  "  the  King  has  de- 
sired to  see  you  himself." 

"  By  all  means  the  King ;  take  me  to  the  King. 
The  King,  sir — I  would  see  the  King."  I  sup- 
pose I  spoke  loudly,  for  a  deep,  measured  voice 
from  behind  answered : 

"  Ilauld  your  tongue,  ye  blethering  bull.  It 
becomes  ye  not  to  make  so  free  with  j'^on  name 
in  our  presence.  Pericles  "  (he  continued  to  the 
man  who  was  writing  at  the  table),  "  who  is  the 
chiel  ?     Who  the  deil  is  he  ?" 

"  It  is  Captain  Eviot,  sir,  who  was  summoned 
before  the  Council  for  returning  home  without 
the  permission  of  your  Highness  and  the  Coun- 
cil." 

"  Never  mind  the  Council,"  replied  the  young 
man,  collapsing  into  the  arm-chair  at  the  head  of 
the  table ;  "  give  me  the  notice." 

Having  obtained  the  notice  and  glanced 
through  it,  he  tore  it  into  fragments,  which  he 
flung  into  a  box  provided  for  rejected  supplica- 
tions and  the  like  idle  and  unprofitable  literature. 
Then  placing  his  elbows  on  the  table,  he  leaned 
his  chin  on  his  hands,  and  with  large,  dull,  lack- 
lustre eyes  looked  straight  into  my  face.    Where- 


18 


upon  I  made  a  low  obeisance  to  him,  for  by  this 
time  I  saw  he  was  the  King;  but  he  continued 
to  stare  moodily  at  me.  I  had  begun  to  grow 
weary  and  almost  to  forget  his  presence,  when 
he  said,  abruptly  : 

"  What  made  ye  come  home,  Andrew  V 

I  looked  in  vain  for  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  or 
signal  of  secret  intelligence.  This  young  old 
man  was  master  of  himself  as  well  as  of  many 
other  persons. 

"  Sir,"  I  said,  "  I  had  served  ten  years  in  for- 
eign lands,  and  I  was  wearying  to  see  my  native 
Prince  and  my  native  country." 

"  That  is  weel  said,  and  I  am  fain  to  hear  it 
said  in  the  vulgar  tongue.  But  this  zeal  for  your 
native  Prince  must  be  something  mature  by  this 
time,  for  it  is  now  six  sorrowful  years  since  we 
took  upon  us  the  burden  of  this  realm.  Why  did 
ye  not  ask  our  leave  to  return  ?" 

"  I  had  come  sooner,  sir,  but  I  might  not  run 
from  my  colors.  As  for  my  coming  back,  I  had 
license  to  go  abroad  for  ten  years,  and  I  knew 
not  that,  by  the  law  of  Scotland,  I  required  any 
license  to  return." 

"  Aye  ;  are  ye  there  with  your  law  ?  As  ye 
appeal  unto  Ceesar,  maybe  Cfesar — being  for  the 
time  our  Lord  Justice-Clerk — ^will  answer  ye. 
What  say  you,  Caesar  ?" 


19 


"  Your  Highness  will  remember,"  said  he  who 
stood  by  the  table,  "  that  some  stringent  order 
was  taken  in  view  of  the  prevalence  of  the 
Pest." 

"  The  Pest,  to  be  sure !"  cried  the  King,  fid- 
geting in  his  chair ;  "  maybe  he  has  it  on  him. 
Speak,  man ;  are  ye  clengit,  piirgit  of  the  infec- 
tion ?  Know  ye  not  that  all  men  are  dischargit 
from  approaching  our  person  at  this  time  with- 
out sufficient  testimonial  of  health  ?" 

"I  have  such  testimonial  from  the  burgomas- 
ter of  Ghent,  and  I  am  here  by  the  order  of  your 
Ilighness's  Council. 

Upon  this  he  who  sat  writing  at  the  table 
broke  in,  saying  that  the  Council  had  been  con- 
strained to  pass  stringent  orders  on  account  of 
the  return  of  expatriated  Scotsmen,  especially  of 
Scottish  Archers  of  the  Guard,  to  Fastcastle, 
and  of  the  many  plots  and  attempts  made  of 
late  upon  the  lives  of  illustrious  persons. 

"  Small  need  to  remind  us  of  that,"  said  the 
King,  as  he  wriggled  out  of  his  chair,  and  fell  to 
walking  about  the  room,  talking — as  it  seemed — 
as  much  to  himself  as  anybody  else.  "  Twa  Re- 
gents violently  and  treasonably  slain  in  this 
countr}^  not  to  speak  of  our  own  father  mur- 
dered in  his  bed,  within  sight  of  this  our  palace. 
Then  it  was  but  the  other  day  that  William  the 


20 


Silent,  as  they  called  him  —  he's  silent  enough 
now,  poor  man !  —  had  three  drops  of  lead  put 
through  him  by  a  common  messenger  fellow 
with  a  Bible  under  his  oxter. 

"  Ye  can  judge,  Captain  Andrew,  what  manner 
of  times  we  live  in  here  when  we  behoove  to 
Avear  a  bolster  like  this"  (here  he  indicated  the 
puffed  padding  of  his  hose)  "about  our  royal 
loins,  all  to  escape  six  inches  of  cruel  steel  in  the 
wame.  Yet  we  think  not  that  there  are  any  of 
Scottish  blood  who  would  lay  hands,  with  bloody 
mind,  upon  our  person — except — it  might  be — " 

"Mr.  Andrew  Melvill,"  said  the  person  who 
was  writing  at  the  table ;  the  others,  who  were 
now  standing  by  the  King's  chair,  smiled  as  men 
scarce  daring  to  laugh. 

"  Aye,"  resumed  the  King ;  "  Mr.  Andrew 
would  like  to  do  it,  but  his  religion  will  not  let 
him.  So  there  is  one  article  of  religion  upon 
which  he  and  I  agree.  But  as  to  the  orders  of 
Council,  they  are  mair  for  the  protection  of  the 
latent  monarchs  among  you,  my  Lords,  than  for 
ourselves — for  I  ken  that  there  are  Jacobi  Septimi 
among  ye.  Weel,  as  it  is  your  affair,  what  say 
ye  I  should  make  of  this  Capitanus  Redux  V 

The  man  at  the  table  said  "Blackness";  the 
Justice-Clerk  suggested  Stirling ;  a  third,  whom 
I  afterwards  knew  to  be  Lord  Rothes,  said  that 


21 


the  Arx  Ejriscojn  at  St.  Andrews  was  the  only 
safe  place  for  a  man  not  purged  of  treason  or  the 
Pest.  There  was  some  laughter  at  this,  in  which 
the  King  joined  not,  tiiough  I  know  not  why. 
The  Colonel  said  nothing. 

"  Na,  na,"  said  the  King,  shaking  his  head  ;  "  it 
is  weel  kenned  that,  for  a  man  of  mean  sub- 
stance, confinement  in  one  of  our  fortresses 
means  ruin  ;  and  if  we  were  to  dispose  him  upon 
the  Archbishop,  he  would  hardly  escape  from 
St.  Andrews  with  the  skin  upon  his  back.  Cap- 
tain Andrew,"  he  added,  addressing  me,  "  we  like 
not  this  peremptory  return  of  yours,  this  enter- 
ing at  both  our  front  and  back  doors  without  so 
much  as  crying  Here  I  am',  it  partaketh  too 
much  of  the  appearance  of  force.  It  is  there- 
fore our  wish  that,  until  we  are  further  informed 
of  the  occasion  of  your  return  to  this  realm,  you 
retire  yourself  benorth  the  Forth  within  twenty- 
four  hours.  You  will  reside  at  the  Castle  of 
Euthven,  in  Strathearn,  with  which  we  are  weel, 
Ave  might  say  ower  weel,  acquaint ;  and  there 
you  Avill  be  entertained  by  our  Chancellor,  the 
Earl  of  Arran,  into  whose  hands  the  castle  has 
been  rendered  for  the  moment.  You  will  not  be 
restrained  in  respect  of  your  liberty,  except  that 
you  will  not  pass  two  nights  in  succession  away 
from  your  place  of  ward." 


23 


I  confess  this  sentence  crushed  me  for  the  mo- 
ment, and  I  walked  back  to  ray  lodging  scarce 
conscious  of  the  passers-by.  Neglect  I  had 
looked  for,  and  oven  hostility  in  certain  quar- 
ters ,  but  to  be  coldly  ignored  and  packed  off 
like  a  vagabond  beadsman  by  the  man  whose 
name  had  been  used  to  draw  me  home — was  not 
this  overmuch  ?  I,  who  had  lived  a  life  of  action 
and  excitement,  to  rot  and  rust  in  a  countr}^ 
tower  in  the  company  of  husbandmen  and  occa- 
sional jackmen !  For  a  moment  I  regretted  that 
I  had  not  spoken  out  plainly,  both  as  to  my  re- 
turn to  Scotland  and  the  incident  at  Fastcastle ; 
but  on  reflection  I  saw  that  it  would  have  been 
foll}^  to  do  otherwise  than  I  did.  Perhaps  there 
was  a  meaning  in  it  which  I  could  not  see,  and 
if  I  sulked  I  might  miss  my  chance,  if  it  came. 
So  I  struggled  to  possess  myself,  and  to  watch 
and  wait. 

I  was  followed  to  my  lodging  by  the  Colonel, 
who  shook  me  warmly  by  the  hand,  and  told  me 
not  to  be  cast  down  by  the  inhospitable  recep- 
tion I  had  met  with.  He  took  me  into  the  gar- 
den at  the  back  of  the  lodging,  and  spoke  to  me 
with  much  earnestness ;  but  I  was  on  ray  guard 
with  him.  His  visit  surprised  me,  for  I  knew  it 
was  unusual  for  a  courtier  to  show  kindness  or 
cordiality    to   one  who  had,  even  in  a   trifling 


23 


matter,  offended  the  Court.  And  this  was  the 
second  thing  which  made  me  think  that  my  pres- 
ence was  understood  by  somebody,  and  tliat  it 
was  thought  worthy  of  attention. 

"  Captain  Andrew,"  said  he,  "  I  came  to  you 
because  you  are  a  stranger  to  the  Avays  of  this 
Court.  Here  is  a  copy  of  the  order  in  your 
case,  signed  by  the  King.  The  country  is  in  a 
disturbed  state,  and  furious  searches  are  being 
made  for  men,  especially  in  Fife  and  Strathearn. 
You  may  find  it  convenient  to  have  that  about 
you.  Then  you  will  be  wise  to  leave  Edinburgh 
at  once.  You  need  not  attempt  to  go  by  Stir- 
ling, for  my  good  brother  James  has  closed  the 
Brig.  The  Queensferry  is  a  little  too  near  to 
Kinneil  for  you  ;  and,  besides,  on  account  of  the 
Plague,  the  ferry-boats  are  everywhere  forbidden 
to  cross,  except  those  plying  between  Leith  and 
Kingorn." 

"  You  seem,"  said  I,  "  to  think  that  my  Lord 
of  Arran  has  some  grudge  against  me.  That 
can  scarce  be,  for  I  have  never  crossed  his  path." 

"  If  there  is  anything,"  replied  he,  with  some 
evasion,  "  which  you  can  tell  mc  in  confidence 
about  your  return  to  Scotland,  I  might  be  of 
some  real  service  to  you,  I  stand  well  with  his 
Highness,  and  should  stand  better  still  but  for 
James.     James  is  my  brother,  but  he  is  a  rascal. 


24 


and  his  wife  is — well,  he  will  pinch  you  between 
his  finger  and  thumb — so — like  a  fly,  for  a  mere 
suspicion.  But  he  will  first  try  to  win  you,  and 
if  he  fails  in  that  look  to  yourself.  I  should  be 
sorry  to  see  you  side  with  him.  Ilis  motto  is, 
'  Scotland  for  Captain  James  Stewart,  and  after 
hira  the  devil.'  I  am  for  Scotland  for  the  Scots, 
and  in  particular  for  Colonel  William  Stewart. 
James  has  not  treated  me  fairly.  His  last  ex- 
ploit was  to  deprive  rae  of  the  wardship  of 
George  Uchiltrie's  lass,  which  the  King  had 
promised  me ;  but  we  have  not  seen  the  end  of 
that  yet.  Now,  Eviot,  I  will  travel  for  you 
with  his  Highness,  if  you  wish  it ;  and  if  you 
should  ever  be  in  a  position  to  assist  me,  I  shall 
look  with  assurance  for  your  help." 

All  this  was  said  with  so  simple  and  kindly 
an  air  that  I  would  gladly  have  taken  this  val- 
iant gentleman  into  my  confidence.  But  that 
was  not  in  the  game,  and  I  was  not  the  man  to 
turn  my  cloak.  Moreover,  he  spoke  so  mean- 
ingly that  I  failed  not  to  see  that  he  invited  an 
explanation.  Why?  There  was  something  be- 
hind this  to  which  I  could  not  as  yet  reach.  So 
I  tlianked  him  warmly  for  his  kindness,  and  told 
him  that  I  was  always  at  his  service ;  but  that 
in  terms  so  general  that  he  went  not  away  con- 
tent. 


CHAPTER  III 

At  this  time  the  common  passages  across  the 
Forth  were,  with  one  exception,  forbidden,  the 
Plague  of  Pestilence  having  appeared  in  Fife, 
being  brought,  as  was  said,  by  a  collier  to  the 
Wester  Wemyss.  I  therefore  crossed  by  the 
ship  Jonas  of  Leith  to  Pettycur,  a  small  haven 
beside  the  town  of  Kingorn.  Two  Englishmen, 
most  merry  fellows,  rode  thence  with  me  as  far 
as  Kinross.  But  afterwards  I  had  reason  to 
think  that  they  rode  rather  for  their  own  edifi- 
cation than  mine,  for  I  learned  that  they  had 
haunted  Kingorn  for  some  time,  and  Avere  be- 
lieved to  be  in  the  pay  of  Mr.  Edward  Wotton, 
then  the  Queen  of  England's  Ambassador  in 
Scotland. 

A  man  of  my  Lord  of  xVrran's  also  came  with 
me,  on  the  pretext  of  showing  me  the  way,  but, 
as  I  thought,  that  he  might  spy  upon  me;  for 
both  then  and  after  I  had  much  ado  to  escape 
his  presence.  I  resented  this  attention  all  the 
more  because  of  his  countenance,  whicli  made 
men   almost   doubt  the   kindness  of   Almiohtv 


26 


God.  His  features  were  naturally  so  villanous 
and  mean  that  no  one  born  with  the  like  might 
either  be,  or  pass  for,  an  honest  man.  His  hair 
was  of  the  rusty  red  ascribed  to  Iscariot,  and 
therefore  I  would  fain  have  called  him  Judas. 
Among  his  fellows  he  was  Red  Rynian,  or  Rusty 
Rynian;  and  as  he  came  from  the  Debatable 
Ground,  he  may  have  been  one  of  Dick  the 
Devil's  bairns.  But  I  was  content  to  call  him 
Barabbas ;  and  although  he  did  once  observe 
that  his  name  was  Rynian,  he  dropped  the  sub- 
ject when  I  told  him  of  my  preference. 

We  were  stopped  on  Kinross  Moor  by  a  party 
of  twenty  lances  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Craw- 
ford, but  not  detained.  At  Kinross  were  many 
great  wagons  carrying  timber,  slates,  and  lime 
to  the  King's  palace  at  Falkland  ;  the  wagoners 
but  little  content,  although  the  King  had  prom- 
ised, in  'verho  Prinpipis^  to  be  grateful  for  their 
service.  We  saw  also  many  sturdy  beggars,  idle 
persons,  sickly  bodies,  and  of  those  who  will  not 
work.  So  by  way  of  Millsforth  we  passed  into 
Strathearn,  crossing  the  water  of  Earn  by  the 
Brig  of  that  name,  and  not  long  after  making 
the  Castle  of  Ruthven. 

This  place  is  at  no  great  distance  from  St. 
Johnston.  The  water  of  Almond  running  here 
through  a  flat  basin,  a  spur  or  knowe  juts  out 


27 


into  the  flat  from  the  ridge  to  the  south  of  the 
water,  and  on  that  knowe  stands  tlie  Castle  of 
Ruthven  within  a  Avail,  marvellously  secure. 

It  consisted  then  of  two  blocks,  besides  a  num- 
ber of  out-buildings.  The  eastern,  and  doubtless 
most  ancient,  part  was  a  square  or  oblong  keep 
of  four  storys,  Avhich  communicated  by  means  of 
a  turnpike,  or  newel,  staircase,  in  the  northwest- 
ern corner  of  the  building.  On  the  upper  part 
of  this  tower  was  the  apartment  assigned  to  me. 
The  western  wing  was  a  later  and  entirely  dis- 
tinct building,  standing  at  some  paces  distance 
from  the  old  keep,  and  was  occupied  by  persons 
concerned  with  the  management  of  the  estate. 
The  late  Earl  of  Gowrie  having  been  executed 
for  treason  in  15S3,  his  Countess  and  children 
were  compelled  to  surrender  the  whole  of  his 
possessions — and  among  other  things  this  Castle 
of  Ruthven,  which  for  the  tjme  was  placed  in 
the  Earl  of  Arran's  hands. 

I  had  been  a  fortnight  or  so  in  this  dreary 
place  when  I  made  a  discovery  I  might  have 
made  much  sooner  if  I  had  cared  to  be  inquisi- 
tive. But  as  I  suspected  that  some  manner  of 
watch  would  be  kept  on  me,  I  took  care  that  no 
curiosity  should  be  shown  by  my  men  or  myself, 
and  spent  most  of  the  time  in  hunting  and  hawk- 
in""  at  a  distance  from  the  house.     The  monoto- 


28 


ny  of  this  life  began  to  pall  on  me,  and  I  took 
to  remaining  more  about  the  castle,  having  it  in 
my  mind  to  ride  to  Falkland  and  make  a  per- 
sonal appeal  to  the  King,  if  I  could  but  win  a 
reservation  of  his  ear. 

It  happened  about  this  time  that  a  snatch  of  a 
song  I  had  heard,  I  know  not  where,  began — as 
men  say  —  to  run  in  my  head.  There  was  a 
cursed  catch  m  it.  Although  I  tried  to  drive  it 
from  me,  it  met  me  at  every  corner :  it  caught 
me  on  the  hills ;  it  wakened  me  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  it  was  the  last  thing  I  knew  before  I 
slept. 

I  cudgelled  my  brain  in  order  to  call  to  mind 
where  I  had  heard  it,  but  to  no  purpose.  Some 
of  the  words  came  back  to  me,  and  at  times  I 
found  myself  singing  it. 

One  afternoon,  as  the  sun  was  cooling  tow- 
ards the  horizon,  I  had  gone  to  my  room,  which, 
as  I  have  said,  was  on  the  top  of  the  eastern 
keep.  There  was  a  door  or  window  in  the  room 
opening  on  to  the  parapet,  and  facing  towards 
the  subsidiary  or  western  part  of  the  castle.  As 
I  was  looking  over  my  wardrobe,  I  fell  into  this 
song  which,  though  plaintive  and  catching,  I 
had  begun  to  curse  in  silence  and  aloud.  "  Ten 
fathom  deep,"  I  sang;  for  a  bar  or  two  I  had 
not  the  words ;  then  the  end  came  thus — 


29 

"Better  to  be  loose  and  living 
Upon  the  sea 
Than  bide  with  me" — 

whereupon,  to  my  great  astonishment,  the  last 
t^vo  bars  were  returned  to  me  by  a  woman's 
voice  from  the  Avestern  block  of  the  castle,  with 
this  difference,  that  the  words  ran  thus : 

' '  Upon  the  sea 
Alone  with  me." 

I  ran  out  at  once  to  the  parapet ;  but  although  I 
lingered  on  the  spot  for  a  long  time  to  find  some 
sign  of  the  songstress,  I  had  no  success.  I  heard 
nothing  and  saw  nothing,  and  I  spent  the  night 
in  cursing  my  folly  for  not  divining  that  I  had 
in  all  possibility  been  sent  to  this  castle  with  a 
purpose. 

I  was  up  betimes  the  following  morning,  and, 
resolved  to  provide  myself  first  with  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  country  and  the  neighboring  build- 
ings, I  climbed  on  to  the  roof  of  the  keep,  conceal- 
ing myself  as  well  as  I  could  behind  the  projection 
of  the  window,  so  as  not  to  attract  the  attention 
of  any  one  in  the  fields.  I  saw  but  little  for  m}'- 
pains  that  T  had  not  seen  before.  One  thing,  how- 
ever, I  did  notice.  To  the  south  and  west  of  the 
castle  lay  a  garden  or  pleasure-ground  which  was 
compassed    by  a  high   wall.      There  were  two 


30 


doors  in  the  wall,  but  these  were  kept  locked, 
because — as  I  was  told — the  garden  was  reserved 
for  the  ground  steward,  who  lodged  in  the  west 
wing,  and  he  gained  access  to  it  b}^  means  of  a 
flight  of  steps  from  the  first  floor.  The  matter 
had  not  interested  me,  but  now  for  the  first  time 
I  could  look  into  a  part  of  the  garden  I  had  not 
seen  before.  To  the  sight  there  was  nobody  in  it ; 
but  the  sun  was  still  low  in  the  sky,  and  from 
time  to  time  a  long  shadow  wavered  across  the 
far  wall. 

And  I  watched  not  this  shadow  in  vain,  for 
ere  many  minutes  had  passed  the  shadow  was 
followed  into  view  by  the  substance.  As  God 
shall  judge  me,  a  lady  in  the  Castle  of  Ruthven  ! 
Young  and  tall,  w^ith  a  beaver  hat  and  a  feather 
to  it,  walking  to  and  fro  with  as  much  pride  as 
if  the  place  belonged  to  her,  and  carrying  in  the 
one  hand  a  French  book,  and  in  the  other  a  fan 
and  a  pair  of  embroidered  gloves.  And  a  strange 
pleasure  she  seemed  to  find  in  her  black  satin 
gown  with  its  silver  lace  laid  over. 

"  Now,  Andrew,  or  never,"  I  said  to  myself, 
hurrying  as  fast  as  I  could  with  decency  down 
the  turnpike  stair.  I  contrived  to  reach  the  back 
of  the  garden  without  being  observed,  where  I 
found  that  the  wall  was  not  to  be  scaled  without 
difficulty ;  but  by  cutting  out  the  mortar  with 


'.n 


my  dagger,  and  using  a  fallen  branch  to  mount 
with,  I  scrambled  on  to  the  top,  and  flung  my- 
self hastily  on  to  the  grass  within.  As  it 
chanced,  the  girl  was  but  a  pace  or  two  from  the 
spot  where  I  fell,  and  I  looked  that  this  violent 
arrival  of  an  armed  stranger — for  the  fall  was 
full  twelve  feet — would  scare  her.  I  feared  she 
might  cry  out,  or  run  towards  the  house.  But 
she  simply  glanced  at  me — contemptuously,  I 
thought  —  stooping  as  if  to  rescue  her  dress 
from  some  imaginarj'  mud  or  obstruction  on  the 
path,  and,  almost  before  I  recovered  my  balance, 
said : 

"  Well,  sir,  you  have  come  at  last ;  you  have 
been  a  long  time  about  it." 

"  Come  at  last !"  I  gasped,  with  astonishment ; 
"and  pray,  mistress,  why  should  I  come  at  all?" 

"  Because  I  am  here,  sir!"  she  retorted,  tapping 
the  ground  with  her  foot.  Here,  thought  I,  is 
an  original  who  will  forgive  the  fashion  of  my 
introduction,  but  she  will  be  all  the  more  difficult 
for  that.  Those  strongly  marked  black  eye- 
brows, and  the  quick  eyes,  which  had  the  look 
of  being  fully  as  black,  belonged  to  no  sickly 
girl  in  her  nonage. 

"  Young  lady,  Avhat  3^ou  say  is  beyond  dispute; 
but  how  knew  you  I  would  come  ?" 

"  Because  I  am  here,  sir !     How  often  would 


32 


j'^ou  have  me  say  it  ?  Did  you  tliink  I  did  not 
see  you  sitting,  as  you  were  glued  to  the  roof  of 
the  keep,  and  gazing  abroad  like  a  moon-calf  ? 
Did  you  expect  me  to  call  out  to  you,  '  My  pretty 
man,  Jean  Uchiltrie  is  waiting  for  j^ou  in  the 
Beech  AValk'?" 

"  Nay ;  I  know  not  how  you  could  see  me. 
My  eyes  are  sharp,  yet  could  I  not  see  you." 

"  If  your  eyes  had  not  been  as  dull  as  your 
wits  you  would  have  seen  a  musket-hole  in  the 
wall  facing  you,  and  you  would  have  known  that 
I  saw  you  through  that." 

"  I  could  not  think  that  weapons  so  deadly  as 
Jean  Uchiltrie's  eyes  were  levelled  on  me  through 
a  common  musket-hole.  But  Jean  Uchiltrie  will 
confess  that  I  kept  her  waiting  at  most  but  half 
an  hour." 

"Half  an  hour  too  much,  if  it  were  half  an 
hour ;  but  it  happens  to  be  a  fortnight  and  four 
days." 

"  Indeed,"  I  pi'otested,  "•  I  came  hither  many 
long  days  ago ;  but  it  is  one  brief  half-hour  since 
I  saw  you." 

"  What !"  she  exclaimed ;  "  is  it  possible  that 
you  are  not  the  noble  captain  who  fell  in  love 
with  me  at  sight  in  Edinburgh,  and  when  he 
heard  that  T  liad  gone  swore  he  would  dash  his 
brains  out  or  be  after  me?     Eo?     Nor  the  Con- 


33 


stable  of  Dundee's  son,  -who  left  a  wife  and 
six  children,  so  they  told  me,  in  Stirlin^^,  to 
ride  after  me  along  the  King's  lioad  to  Dun- 
blane?" 

"  'Nor  am  I  he,"  I  said,  ruefully,  although  I 
suspected  that  this  outburst  was  meant  to  cover 
the  disappointment  of  some  other  hope  my  pres- 
ence had  raised.  "  I  saw  you  for  the  first  time 
a  few  minutes  ago ;  but,  having  seen,  I  would 
follow  you,  not  from  Edinburgh — which  is  no 
great  distance  —  but  from  the  bounds  of  the 
earth." 

"  Get  you  gone,  sir ;  to  the  bounds  of  the  earth, 
if  you  will.  I  see  that  I  misknew  you.  I  sup- 
pose you  are  simply  one  of  my  jailers,  though  if 
you  are  I  cannot  think  why  you  should  scramble 
over  the  wall  and  fall  at  my  feet  like  a  sack  of 
pease  instead  of  coming  in  by  the  door. 

"  No?"  she  continued  ;  "  well,  I  am  marvellous 
sorry.  You  are  "  (turning  round  and  pretending 
to  look  at  me  critically)  "  not  amiss.  Your  cloak 
might  have  been  made  at  Paris.  Ah  !  it  was  ? 
Then  you  look  strong — and  I  am  for  men  who 
can  beat  each  other  to  pieces  with  broadswords. 
That's  a  man's  sport.  I  care  not  for  that  narrow 
blade  you  carry  ;  to  fight  with  the  ])oint  of  a 
needle  is  a  game  for  women.  Yes ;  I'm  sorry 
you  arc  not  to  be  my  jailer,  for  you  are  a  bit  of 


34 


a  fool,  and  would  have  amused  me,  I  dare  say, 
for  a  fortnight  or  so." 

I  say  not  this  did  not  stir  me,  for  no  man — be 
he  as  old  as  Methuselah  and  as  ugly  as  sin — likes 
to  be  despitefully  entreated  by  a  young  and 
comely  woman.  Tarry  a  space,  my  young  lady, 
said  I  to  myself,  and  I  will  see  whether  I  cannot 
make  you  dance  to  another  tune  ;  but  to  her  I 
said : 

"  Mistress  Jean,  you  do  both  me  and  my  sword 
wrong,  as  you  may  find  in  time.  I  am  no  jailer, 
Init  a  prisoner  in  this  castle,  even  as  you  seem 
to  be.  I  confess  I  came  to  3'our  garden  because, 
as  you  would  have  it,  you  were  here.  And  I 
came  over  the  wall  like  a  sack  of  meal  because 
I  would  have  heard  from  you  whether  I  could 
serve  you  in  aught,  whereas  I  should  not  have 
gained  entrance  by  the  house." 

"  How  should  I  know  that  ?"  Then,  in  that 
tone  of  mocking  levity  which  I  found  this  strange 
girl  to  adopt  when  she  was  most  serious  :  "  Yes, 
there  is  one  thing  I  will  allow  you  to  do  for  me. 
You  shall  teach  me  that  charming  ballad  you 
were  singing  last  night ;  but  on  this  condition, 
that  you  tell  me  where  you  learned  it." 

"  Was  it  '  The  Man  of  Ballingry '  ?  No  ?  Or 
'Andrew  Lambie'^  Ah!  I  know  what  you 
mean  "  (and  here  I  looked  upon  the  ground  in 


35 


my  perplexity).  "  I  fear  I  cannot  tell  you  that. 
Perhaps  it  will  come  to  me,  but  I  cannot  recall 
now  where  I  heard  it." 

"  I  knew  it,"  she  said,  indignanth' ;  "  I  was 
sure  of  it.  It  was  very  smart  of  3''ou,  but  I  am 
not  to  be  taken  in  by  a  spy.  And  now  that  wo 
understand  each  other,  I  shall  walk  from  this  part 
of  the  garden  where  we  are  not  seen  to  that  part 
where  we  shall  be  seen,  and  you  may  safely  go 
out  by  the  door  like  a  Christian." 

"  Nay  ;  if  I  were  seen,  steps  would  be  taken  to 
prevent  my  coming  here  again,  and  as  I  purpose 
to  come  again,  I  shall  not  follow  you." 

She  was  noAV  moving  away,  but  she  turned, 
gracefully  and  coquettishly  enough,  I  will  admit, 
to  say : 

"  Good-bye,  Mr,  Spy  ;  I  should  like  to  see  you 
leap  the  wall  again." 

There  srew  outside  the  ^^arden  wall  a  beech  of 
gigantic  proportions,  which  had  much  renown  in 
the  district  under  the  name  of  the  Mailer's  Tree. 
This  ancient  denizen  of  the  Ruthven  policies  had 
thrown  one  of  his  limbs  over  the  wall  and  some 
distance  into  the  garden.  Jumping  up  and  seiz- 
ing the  branch  at  the  lowest  point  which  would 
bear  my  Aveight,  I  drew  myself  along  it  hand 
over  hand  until  I  could  drop  on  to  the  wall ;  and 
haviuu'  made  a  low  obeisance  to  the  ladv,  who 


36 


was  kind  enough  to  watch  the  exploit,  I  dropped 
into  the  shrubbery. 

Now  I  conceived  not  that  I  had  come  by  the 
worse  in  this  passage  of  arms,  because  it  sug- 
gested some  explanation  to  me.  His  Highness 
was  aware  of  ray  coming  to  Scotland,  but  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  believe  that  his  Chancellor 
was  privy  to  it.  An  underhand  attempt  had 
been  made  upon  me  at  Fastcastle,  as  I  believed 
at  the  instigation  of  the  Chancellor ;  but  he  was 
a  man  Avho  did  many  violent  things  on  suspicion. 
Yet  at  first  sight  it  was  scarce  to  be  explained 
why  his  Highness,  who  had  brought  me  home, 
should  consign  me  to  the  man  from  whom,  above 
all,  he  must  wish  to  conceal  his  purpose. 

I  knew  him,  however,  to  be  a  very  secret  and 
cunning  man ;  and  it  was  jiossible  that,  in  order 
to  lull  the  suspicions  which  his  Chancellor  seemed 
to  hold  about  me,  he  had  held  back  from  all  com- 
munication with  me,  and  had  committed  me  to  a 
castle  in  Arran's  keeping.  What  if,  in  appear- 
ing to  humor  the  Chancellor,  he  had  sent  me  to 
the  very  place  he  all  along  meant  to  despatch  me 
to  ?  What  if  the  secret  lay  in  this  castle  ?  I  bit 
my  lips  with  vexation  to  think  that  this  was  all 
surmise,  and  that  I  had  neither  information  nor 
instructions. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Well,  I  knew  that  if  anybody  could  tell  me 
what  was  going  on  in  liuthven  Castle  that  man 
lived  in  Perth,  and  was  the  minister  of  Tibber- 
mure.  For  the  ministry  knew  not  only  the  scan- 
dal of  the  ale-house  and  the  barber's  shop,  but  a 
good  deal  more,  and  some  of  the  worthy  men 
spent  the  greater  portion  of  their  time  in  inves- 
tigating the  private  misdeeds  of  their  flocks. 
Never  did  priest,  with  the  mark  of  the  Beast 
upon  him,  ride  the  people  so  hard.  Master  Pat- 
rick Murray,  though  he  had  no  great  stomach 
for  this  work,  knew  all  that  went  on  in  his  par- 
ish, for  there  were  sundry  who  would  not  suffer 
him  to  be  ignorant. 

From  him  I  learned — for  I  had  the  means  to 
make  him  speak  —  that  the  Earl  of  Arran  was 
both  hated  and  feared  by  the  ministry  and  the 
people,  and  that  very  little  was  required  to  make 
the  whole  country  rise  against  him.  The  peo- 
ple hated  him  for  the  execution  of  the  Earl  of 
Gowi'ie,  and  the  Kirk  for  the  persecution  it  en- 
dured at  his  hands.     When  the  harvest  failed, 


and  the  infection  of  Plague  grew  very  sore,  men 
knew  tliat  2uy  Lord  of  Arran  was  without  ex- 
cuse and  past  praying  for. 

As  for  the  young  lady  kept  close  at  Ruthven, 
she  was  the  daughter  of  George  Uchiltrie,  of 
l^ewton,  who  had  been  very  great  with  the  Re- 
gent ]\[orton.  Rightly  or  wrongly,  all  men  be- 
lieved that  the  Regent  had  made  great  secret 
hoards  of  treasure,  and  that  George  Uchiltrie 
knew  where  they  were.  So,  when  the  Regent 
was  beheaded,  Uchiltrie  was  booted  by  the  or- 
ders of  Captain  James  Stewart,  otherwise  the 
Earl  of  Arran,  albeit  without  any  shadow  of 
law.  But  whether  it  was  that  the  popular  voice 
was  wrong,  and  the  Regent  had  no  secret 
hoards,  George  Uchiltrie  said  never  a  word. 
The  Raid  of  Ruthven  then  put  the  Earl  of  Ar- 
ran from  Court  for  a  time,  but  he  came  back — 
and  the  day  arrived  when  the  Laird  of  Newton 
simply  disappeared  from  the  face  of  God's  earth. 
He  was  riding  home  from  the  Queensferry  when 
he  had  word  that  the  passes  through  the  hills 
were  beset  for  him.  lie  then  attempted  to  cross 
from  Alva  to  Blackford,  a  wild  road,  and  rough 
for  horses.  As  his  party  skirted  the  shoulder  of 
Benbuck  he  found  that  they  were  pursued,  and, 
directing  them  to  continue  on  their  way,  he 
turned  himself  some  other  gate.     From  that  day 


:!'j 


nothing  had  been  heard  either  of  him  or  liis 
horse,  and  most  had  given  liini  up  for  dead — in- 
deed, there  could  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  he 
was  dead. 

Thereupon  there  had  been  a  great  rivalry  be- 
tween the  Earl  of  Arran  and  his  brother  the 
Colonel  for  the  wardship  of  George  Uchiltrie's 
daughter,  Xobody  knew  how  the  matter  stood, 
although  the  Earl  and  Countess  had  carried  the 
gii'l  about  with  them  to  Edinburgh  and  Kinneil ; 
but  lately,  for  what  reason  was  not  known,  she 
had  been  sent  to  Ruthven,  and  in  some  manner 
confined  in  the  castle. 

"  And  now,"  said  the  worthy  Master  Patrick, 
"  that  I  have  answered  j'our  questions,  I  would 
ask  a  favor  of  you  in  return." 

"  You  may  take  it  for  granted,"  I  replied ; 
"what  may  it  be?" 

"  Well,  I  would  have  you  attend  the  sermon 
at  St.  Serfs  Chapel,  which  stands  on  the  other 
side  of  Almond,  and  tell  me  what  you  think 
thereof.  There  came  one  hither  no  great  time 
ago  of  whom  I  would  have  assurance.  The 
brethren  tell  me  that  his  ministrations  at  St, 
Serf's  smell  of  grace,  but  I  mistrust  me  of  him." 

"What  like  is  he, sir?" 

"A  fiery-faced, boastful-looking  man." 

"  Callinir  himself  Mr.  Peter  AVilkie  ?" 


40 


"  The  very  same ;  but  wlio  he  may  trul}'-  be 
no  one  here  knows." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  have  seen  your  man.  As  I 
rode  through  the  Hilton  of  Mailer,  on  my  ar- 
rival in  these  parts  from  Edinburgh,  I  noticed 
a  person  of  ministerial  appearance  whose  face 
seemed  familiar  to  me.  So  much  was  I  struck 
with  him  that  I  made  inquiry,  and  w^as  told  that 
he  w^as  Mr.  Wilkie,  of  St.  Serf's,  a  very  power- 
ful and  sanctified  'veshel'  when  in  the  pulpit. 
But  though  I  know  not  the  name  of  Wilkie,  I 
know  the  face  of  that  man." 

I  had  looked  to  be  without  the  presence  of 
Barabbas  on  this  occasion,  for  the  Plague  was 
very  sore  in  Perth,  and  the  people  of  the  neigh- 
boring villages  were  shy  of  going  into  the  town. 
But  I  suppose  the  Fiend  had  so  inoculated  the 
man  with  evil  that  he  feared  not  a  hundred 
plagues,  and  I  had  to  put  up  with  his  company. 
I  brought,  of  course,  both  of  my  own  men  wath 
me,  because  the  state  of  the  country  was  such 
that  one  with  a  plack  piece  in  his  pocket  might 
not  go  a  mile  unaccompanied  without  danger. 
We  had  nearly  reached  the  castle  on  our  re- 
turn wlicn,  from  one  of  those  subtle  channels  of 
inspiration  Avhich  the  wit  of  man  cannot  fol- 
low, I  became  aware  that  something  was 
amiss. 


41 


I  was  roused  from  this  uneasy  feeling-  by  Ba- 
rabbas,  who,  pressing  past  me  without  ceremony, 
threw  himself  from  his  horse  and  ran  towards 
the  door  in  the  garden  wall.  This  door  had  been 
kept  carefully  closed  since  I  came  to  the  castle, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  not  having  been  used 
for  some  considerable  time  before  that.  It  was 
now  open,  and  marvelling  not  less  than  Ijarab- 
bas  at  the  sight,  I  also  leaped  from  my  horse  and 
ran  into  the  garden.  Here  was  a  state  of  things 
which  puzzled  me.  On  one  side  Barabbas,  hav- 
ing his  drawn  sword  in  his  hand,  was  pressing 
matters  with  two  men,  who  appeared  to  be  more 
anxious  to  drive  him  off  than  hurt  him.  On  the 
other  hand  were  Jean  Uchiltrio  and  her  woman, 
whom  a  cavalier  booted  and  spurred  Avas  ad- 
dressing in  a  resolute  manner,  but  with  a  certain 
amount  of  deference.  The  girl  was  listening 
with  a  contemptuous  air,  but  her  woman  seemed 
to  be  quite  unconcerned. 

Isow  I  was  not  going  to  draw  my  sword  for  Ba- 
rabbas, whose  very  face  I  loathed.  Xor  did  I  in- 
tend to  draw  readily  for  the  young  lady  who  had 
a  few  hours  before  called  me  a  spy.  So,  walking 
towards  the  latter  group  near  enough  to  see  and 
hear  what  was  being  done,  I  stood  by  as  one  that 
pauses  at  a  street  scene  from  idle  curiosity.  Two 
things,  however,  I  noted  carefully — that  the  sun 


43 


should  be,  and  the  open  door  of  the  garden  should 
not  be,  at  my  back. 

"  Madame,"  the  cavalier  was  saying,  "  I  have 
treated  you  with  all  possible  forbearance  ;  but  if 
you  will  persist  in  refusing  to  come,  I  must  sum- 
mon those  who  will  not  be  so  gentle." 

"  Summon  them,"  said  the  girl,  with  a  scornful 
laugli ;  "  there  are  also  those  who  will  perhaps 
not  treat  you  as  gently  as  I  have." 

I  know  not  whether  this  was  intended  as  an 
appeal  to  me,  but  she  looked  in  my  direction, 
and  I  returned  the  look  as  if  I  had  no  under- 
standing of  such  meaning.  Following  her  eyes, 
my  cavalier  turned  and  saw  me. 

"  Ah !"  said  he,  "  madame  thinks  that  this  gen- 
tleman—    May  I  ask,  sir,  what  you  do  here  ?" 

"  Have  you  any  objection  to  my  being  here?" 
I  answered,  with  indolence,  flicking  the  heads  off 
the  go  wans  with  my  wand. 

"  None,  so  long  as  you  keep  your  tongue  and 
your  hands  to  yourself." 

"  Thank  you.  You  will,  however,  allow  me  to 
mind  my  own  business.  If  not,  I  may  be  tempt- 
ed to  inquire  into  yours." 

"  Go  pack,  knave,  or  I  shall  take  thee  by  the 
nose !"  he  cried,  angrily,  thinking  to  bear  me 
down  with  great  words. 

"  Not  so,  until  I  know  whether  it  is  this  lady's 


43 


wish  to  go  with  you  or  not.  I  had  no  intention, 
wJicn  I  came  in,  of  interfering  with  what  seemed 
not  to  concern  me.  But  when  an  ill-bred  cur  is 
not  content  to  worry  his  bone  in  peace,  but  snarls 
at  me,  I  generally  give  him  something  for  his 
compliment." 

Again  he  called  upon  me  to  stand  from  the 
way,  and  reaching  forth  his  hand  caught  the  girl 
by  the  Avrist,  in  order  to  drag  her  towards  the 
gate.  He  had  no  sooner  done  this  than  I  cut 
him  across  the  ear  with  the  horse-wand  which  I 
still  carried.  Knowing  what  this  meant  between 
men  accustomed  to  carry  weapons  in  their  hands, 
I  dropped  my  wand  at  once  and  drew  my  rapier, 
making  sure  at  the  same  time  that  my  dagger 
was  loose.  My  man  was  nearly  as  quick.  Coarse 
Avretch  that  he  was,  he  belonged  to  a  class  of  men 
who  were  ready  with  tlieir  hands  and  knew  no 
fear.  The  stroke  of  the  vrand  had  been  severe, 
but  well  I  knew  it  was  the  indignity  which  galled 
him. 

Before  one  might  have  counted  three,  he  had 
dropped  the  girl's  wrist,  drawn  his  sword,  and 
sprung  upon  me.  Like  all  men  whose  temper 
becomes  ungovernable,  he  thought  to  carrv  off 
the  matter  on  the  first  intention — a  thino-  which 
does  sometimes  come  about,  though  not  often. 
Kow  I  had  no  mind  to  spare  this  man  ;   and, 


44 


moreover,  though  I  have  heard  men  speak  of 
fighting  on  the  defensive,  I  have  never  been  able 
to  find  any  system  of  single  combat  with  deadly 
weapons  which  could  be  so  called.  But  in  truth 
I  have  known  men  fight  in  such  a  manner  that 
success  was  impossible.  So  I  stood  firmly  on  my 
feet,  without  budging  an  inch,  and,  parrying  his 
stroke,  nipped  him  on  the  forearm  before  he 
could  recover.  I  was  under  this  disadvantage, 
that  whereas  I  wore  my  corselet,  he  had  on  both 
breastplate  and  back,  and  I  was  forced  to  play 
with  precision  for  the  vulnerable  points. 

At  an  early  point  in  the  encounter  I  noticed — 
as  one  will  notice  trifles  at  critical  moments — a 
vegetable,  such  as  a  leek,  which  had  been  dropped 
on  the  grass  and  flattened  by  somebody's  heeh 
I  shifted  my  ground  in  order  to  avoid  this  hazard 
of  the  green  ;  but  my  adversary  in  his  heat  was 
less  cautious,  and,  after  parrying  with  difficulty 
a  thrust  which  grazed  the  outside  of  his  upper 
arm,  he  stepped  upon  the  leek,  and  fell  all  his 
length  upon  his  back. 

As  this  Avas  not  a  combat  of  honor,  but  an  un- 
warrantable attack  upon  myself,  I  thought  at 
first  of  putting  my  foot  on  his  sword  ;  but  a  deep 
guffaw  from  behind  telling  me  that  Carryg  had 
come  in,  it  seemed  that  I  needed  not  to  put  my- 
self to  the  trouble.     The  two  fellows  who  had 


45 


beset  Barabbas  left  him  when  they  found  that 
their  master  was  engaged  with  me,  but  the  entry 
of  my  men  at  the  same  moment  had  compelled 
them  to  stand  by  -without  interference.  They 
now  set  him  upon  his  legs,  for,  having  his  armor 
on,  he  had  got  something  of  a  shock  b}'  his  fall. 

"  May  the  devil  burst  me,"  he  spluttered,  '"  if 
I  do  not  have  the  best  blood  in  your  body  for 
this !" 

"Don't  be  a  fool,  man,"  I  replied;  "I  found 
you  doing  something  ver}^  questionable  in  this 
garden,  for  I  take  it  you  had  no  authority  for 
carrying  ofT  this  ladj' ;  and  I  must  tell  j^ou  now 
very  plain]}"  that,  if  you  do  not  clear  off  at  once, 
both  you  and  your  men  shall  hang  from  yon 
beech-tree  within  the  hour.  And  an  ugly  sight 
youll  be." 

"  You  have  no  right  to  ask  for  my  authority," 
he  grumbled  ;  "but," he  added, maliciously, "you 
may  read  it  for  yourself,  so  long  as  you  show  it 
not  to  others."  He  thereupon  handed  me  a  pa- 
per, which  I  proceeded  to  glance  at.  It  con- 
tained authority  to  Eoger  Algate  to  search  all 
apartments  in  Ruthven  Castle,  and,  if  necessary, 
carry  away  with  him  such  persons  as  he  might 
suspect  of  concealing  from  him  certain  jewels 
wdiich  had  been  stolen  from  the  royal  jewel-chest 
in  EcUnburgh  Castle.     The  paper  pui-ported  to 


40 


be  signed  by  "  Arran " ;  but  as  it  was  j^lainly 
written  in  the  handwriting  of  a  woman,  I  laughed 
softly,  and  began  to  fold  it  up  as  if  to  return  it. 

''  Roger,  Roger,"  I  said,  "  I  fear  you  are  a  very 
sad  and  a  very  bad  dog.  I  wouldn't  prevent 
3"our  having  a  sweetheart  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Tweed,  but — ah,  you  rogue ! — you  shouldn't 
flourish  about  your  mistress's  love-letters  as  au- 
thority for  carrying  decent  women  out  of  their 
houses.  Fie !  Roger."  And  tearing  the  paper 
to  pieces,  I  cast  the  fragments  upon  the  wind, 
w^hich  carried  them  hither  and  thither,  some 
over  the  wall,  and  some  into  the  trees  and 
bushes. 

Thereupon  methought  Roger  would  have  be- 
taken him  again  to  his  sword ;  but  one  cr3'ing  to 
us  from  the  open  gate  to  "have  a  bishop  in,"  a 
little  laugh  began  among  our  rascals.  A  number 
of  countrymen  coming  from  the  fields,  hearing 
raised  voices  in  the  garden  and  seeing  the  gate 
open,  had  peered  in  to  spy  what  was  going  for- 
Avard.  There  was  not  one  of  those  men  who  had 
not  more  or  less  knowledge  of  arms,  and  at  sight 
of  them  Roger  knew  that  his  venture  had  mis- 
carried, and  that  if  he  did  not  go  at  once  he 
might  not  have  the  chance  of  going  at  all. 

"  For  this,"  he  said,  with  some  spite,  "  you  will 
have  to  answer  to  one  who  will  know  how  to 


47 


deal  with  you.  If  you  survive  that,  you  will 
have  to  reckon  with  me." 

"  Not  again  with  you,  Roger,"  I  replied  ;  "  next 
time,  if  he  pleases,  another  will  amuse  you,  and 
a  pretty  mess  he  will  make  of  you." 

Without  further  words  he  drew  off  with  his 
men.  Once  outside  the  garden  he  made  for  the 
thicket  which  grows  close  by,  followed  by  the 
country  people,  who  jeered  and  jested  at  his  ex- 
pense, lie  had  left  two  men  in  the  thicket  Avith 
his  horses,  but  as  there  were  seven  horses  among 
five  men,  it  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they 
came  with  the  fixed  intention  of  carrying  off 
the  girl  and  her  woman.  Their  plan  had  been 
good  enough.  They  had  been  waiting  this  op- 
portunity for  some  days  in  Methven  "Wood,  a 
natural  forest,  which  was  allowed  to  ilourish  for 
the  express  purpose  of  harboring  broken  men, 
common  tiiieves,  and  traitors  and  vagabonds, 
coming;  both  from  the  Highlands  and  Lowlands. 
On  my  departure  to  visit  the  minister  of  Tibber- 
mure,  by  means  of  a  pretended  summons  from 
Barabbas  they  drew  off  to  Forteviot  Kirk  the 
three  or  four  men  left  at  Iluthven.  AVhcther  by 
first  scaling  the  wall  and  removing  the  bolts,  or 
with  the  assistance  of  an  accomplice  inside,  they 
entered  by  the  garden  gate,  and,  proceeding  to 
the  house,  searched  the  whole  of  Jean  Uchiltrie's 


48 


apartments.  But  not  finding  what  they  wanted, 
they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  she  carried  it 
upon  her  person. 

I  had  but  too  much  cause  to  fear  that  this 
raid,  strange  as  it  might  seem,  was  instigated 
on  the  part  of  the  Earl  of  Arran.  The  Countess, 
as  everybody  knew,  had  forced  the  king's  jewel- 
chest  ;  and,  when  Sir  Kobert  Melvill  had  the 
locks  altered,  she  had  a  new  set  of  keys  made 
for  her  own  use.  Whether  it  was  one  of  the 
king's  jewels  or  not,  it  was  clear  that  something 
of  interest  was  missing,  and  that  Jean  Uchiltrie 
was  suspected.  For  Eoger  and  his  men  had 
searched  in  sober  earnest.  He  could  not  venture 
to  search  the  young  lady  in  Euthven  Castle ; 
but  there  were  places  near  at  hand  in  the  High- 
land glens  where  that  could  be  done  without  in- 
convenience, and  without  the  victim's  knowing 
at  whose  instance,  or  even  where,  it  was  done. 
I  have  little  doubt  now  that  such  was  the  inten- 
tion, and  that  the  unhappy  girl  had  been  sent  to 
Euthven  because  the  place  was  convenient  for 
executing  the  scheme.  For  I  afterwards  learned 
that  at  this  time  my  Lord  of  Arran  went  for 
some  days  upon  a  secret  journey,  and  that  it 
was  thought — although  none  knew — that  he  had 
gone  into  the  Highlands  to  buy  the  interest  of 
sonic  of  the  chieis. 


49 


In  the  meantime  it  occurred  to  me  that,  hav- 
ing gained  admission  to  the  garden  by  the  door, 
I  was  not  going  to  be  expelled  without  knowing 
the  reason.  Moreover,  friend  lioger's  authority 
had  given  me  a  clew  to  Mistress  Jean's  secret, 
although  she  knew  not  what  the  paper  con- 
tained. So,  begging  a  word  in  private,  I  pre- 
vailed upon  her  to  walk  a  few  paces  apart  with 
me.  When  out  of  hearing,  I  faced  her,  and, 
looking  her  gravely  in  the  face,  said  : 

"  Where  is  it  r 

"  Where  is  what  ?     What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  say  more — you  under- 
stand— what  your  friends,  who  were  here  just 
now,  were  looking  for." 

"Looking  for?  It  is  true  they  turned  every- 
thing upsidedown  in  the  house ;  but  that  was 
but  a  pretext  for  carrying  off  my  woman  and 
myself.  You  know,  Captain  Eviot,  such  things 
are  done  for  less  attractive  merchandise  than  I 
am." 

"I  am  sorry,"  I  said,  seriously,  "you  should 
take  this  tone  with  me.  You  know  as  well  as  I 
do  Avhat  lloger  Algate  came  to  seek ;  you  know 
who  sent  him ;  you  know  that,  failing  to  find 
what  he  wanted,  he  was  about  to  carry  you  off 
to  a  place  where  you  yourself  might  be  searched. 
You  were  entirely  at  his  mercy  but  for  my  inter- 


50 


ference,  and  now  3^ou  den}^  to  me  what  even  the 
knave  himself  admitted."  I  spoke  at  a  venture, 
but  I  knew  that  I  was  warm. 

"  Here's  a  pretty  man !"  cried  she.  "  Cristine ! 
here,  Cristine,  is  one  who  swears  we  carry  about 
witli  us  I  know  not  wliat,  and  has  a  mind  to 
search  us  himself,  as  I  think." 

"I  can  promise  him  a  good  clawing  if  he 
begins,"  said  Cristine. 

"  The  man  is  crazed.  I  marvel  who  could 
have  possessed  his  brain  with  such  maggots." 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  who  ?"  said  I ;  but  giving  no 
answer  to  this,  she  walked  off  towards  the  house. 
However,  when  she  had  reached  the  flight  of 
steps  which  led  to  the  first  floor,  she  left  Cris- 
tine, and,  coming  quickly  back  to  me,  said  : 

"  Who  told  you  this — this  nonsense  V 

"  You  might  have  asked  that  a  little  sooner, 
Mistress  Jean.  AVho  told  me?  AVho  but  Ye 
Ken  Wha?" 

"  Ye  Ken  Wha?"  she  answered,  irritably ;  "  oh 
yes,  Ye  Ken  Wha ;  but  if  there  be  any  such 
person,  what  did  he  say  ?" 

"  Mistress  Jean,  as  you  are  pleased  to  mind 
your  own  business,  I  am  moved  to  mind  mine, 
though  this  may  not  be  pleasing  to  the  person  I 
have  spoken  of." 

This  I  said  because,  althourrh  I  was  what  is 


51 


called  warm,  1  could  not  insist  furLlier  without 
betraying  my  ignorance,  and  finally  forfeiting 
the  confidence  of  this  girl. 

"  Ah,"  she  replied,  "  I  had  begun  to  be  sorry 
for  what  I  said  this  morning,  but  now  I  fear  I 
was  right.  You  seem  to  think  you  have  obliged 
me  by  driving  off  that  wretched  man.  Who 
told  you  that?  Was  it  Ye  Ken  AVha?  How 
do  you  know  that  I  prefer  to  be  patronized  by 
you  to  being  carried  off  by  Eoger  Algate? 
And,  pray,  after  all  is  said,  what  did  you  do  for 
me?  It's  easy  fighting  where  your  adversary 
lies  down  on  his  back." 

"Well,  well,  the  next  time  I  see  you  in  the 
clutches  of  lioger  I  will  let  you  be." 

"  Nay,  Captain  Andrew,  but  you  will  do  ex- 
actly as  I  tell  )"0U.  Think  you  I  know  you  not  ? 
Why  "  (and  she  spoke  in  a  low  voice,  putting  her 
face  close  to  mine),  "you  would  sooner  see  the 
little  finger  of  Jean  Uchiltrie  than  a  regiment 
of  other  women.  But  you !  What  are  you  to 
me?"  And,  snapping  her  fingers  at  me  with 
great  contempt,  she  rejoined  Cristine  and  en- 
tered the  house. 

I  laughed  heartily  at  this,  and  said  to  myself 
it  was  not  so.     And  it  was  not. 


CHAPTER  V 

The  following  morning,  being  the  day  of  the 
weekly  sermon,  I  betook  myself,  without  much 
hope  of  edification,  to  the  chapel  in  which  Mr. 
Peter  Wilkie  ministered.  For  mj^self,  I  was  of 
the  "  Trew"  Keligion,"  and  did  not  wish  to  see 
the  order  of  Bishops  revived  in  Scotland — so  far 
I  was  sound.  My  only  quarrel  with  the  Bishops 
was  that  the  Scots  neither  liked  them  nor  needed 
them.  But  the  ordering  of  these  matters  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Andrew  Melvill, 
who  proved  to  be  a  "  sair  sanct "  for  the  Kirk ; 
because  witli  him  began  tlie  hatred,  malice,  and 
uncharitableness  which  lie  between  her  and  the 
civil  power  to  this  day. 

Mr.  Andrew  was  a  man  of  great  learning  and 
abilities,  and  very  upright  in  his  walk  and  con- 
versation ;  but  he  was  a  fain  and  foolish  man  to 
lead  the  Kirk,  lie  taught  tlie  ministry  that  the 
order  of  Bishops  was  not  only  not  meet,  but  un- 
lawful according  to  the  Scriptures,  and  dam- 
nable ;  and  under  his  control  the  Kirk  proceeded 
to  claim  an  interference   in  civil  affairs  which 


no  system  of  government  and  no  race  of  people 
could  tolerate.  It  portended  a  tyranny  which 
would  have  gone  far  beyond  that  of  Rome.  The 
King,  Avho  was  but  a  boy,  though  shrewd  for  his 
years,  saw  the  encroachments  upon  the  civil 
power,  and  retaliated  with  expedients  which  en- 
dangered the  liberties  of  the  Kirk.  Much  injustice 
has  been  done  upon  this  head  to  my  master ;  for, 
whatever  may  be  the  merits  of  our  troubles  now, 
I  do  not  doubt  that  he  would  then  have  given 
the  Kirk  all  that  it  could  fairly  ask.  But  the 
demands  made  upon  him  were  beyond  all  reason, 
and  they  were  put  forward  by  Mr.  Andrew  and 
his  imitators  of  inferior  mould  with  such  terms 
of  insult  and  abuse  as  were  not  tolerable.  Hence 
he  became  suspicious ;  nor  do  I  believe  that  the 
Kirk  will  recover  what  it  has  lost  through  these 
worthy  but  unwise  men  for  many  years  to  come. 
A  sermon  from  Mr.  Andrew  Melvill  was  one 
thing,  the  discourse  of  Mr.  Peter  "Wilkie  another. 
If  Mr.  Andrew  was  indiscreet,  overbearing,  and 
unfair,  his  wit  and  learning  were  inexhaustible, 
and  he  was  full  of  fire.  But  Mr.  Peter  ?  Well, 
there  were  but  a  handful  of  men,  there  were  no 
young  men,  in  his  congregation;  three-fourths 
of  those  who  attended  the  sermon  were  women. 
Mr.  Peter  himself,  a  thick-necked,  black-browed 
man,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  as  having 


54 


been  in  one  of  our  Scots  companies  at  Ghent.  I 
had  also  seen  him  more  recently  at  Edinburgh, 
for  my  host  of  Robertson's  Inus  pointed  to  him, 
and  told  me  that  some  years  before  he  had  stood 
in  the  pillory  for  four  hours  and  was  pelted  by 
the  Kascal  with  rotten  fish  for  saying  Mass  in  the 
Kowgate.  But  then  he  was  no  Peter  Wilkie. 
To  what  end  he  supplied  this  double  character  I 
know  not ;  but  that  he  continued  it  I  do  know, 
for  many  3^ears  afterwards  he  was  denounced  by 
proclamation  for  his  abominable  atheism  in  the 
same. 

In  his  sermon  he  first  made  some  bald  remarks 
upon  the  text,  ^vhich  were  followed  by  what  he 
called  doctrine.  Doctrine  it  may  have  been  ;  he 
used  some  very  hard  words. 

But  the  practical  application  Avas  the  mainstay 
of  his  discourse ;  and  when  he  arrived  at  that 
there  was  a  shufliing  of  feet,  and  the  congrega- 
tion pulled  itself  together.  After  some  parochial 
personalities,  we  had  for  grace  what  in  truth  I 
can  only  describe  as  a  red-hot  picture  of  hell, 
with  the  King  and  his  Council  occupying  a 
prominent  place  in  the  foreground.  At  times  a 
few  of  the  women  groaned,  but  the  blasphemous 
abuse  excited  no  admiration,  for,  indeed,  it  had 
furnished  the  greater  part  of  some  men's  sermons 
for  two  or  tliree  years  before. 


55 


I  was  presently  glad  of  my  knowledge  of  the 
man,  for  by  degrees  he  began  to  direct  his  course 
to  me.  In  the  end,  pointing  with  his  finger,  he 
cried  out  at  me  with  great  passion  : 

"Pestiferous  trallickers,  practeesers,  Jesuits, 
Seminary  Priests,  and  other  children  of  the  An- 
tichrist, are  cree])ing  into  the  country,  and  in 
this  kirk  itself  sit  those  who  dwell  in  the  portion 
of  Sathan." 

As  these  Avords  drew  the  eyes  of  the  congre- 
gation upon  me,  I  rose  at  once  to  m}^  feet  and 
answered  him. 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "you  will  be  good  enough  to 
keep  your  sour  tongue  off  me.  I  have  those  to 
answer  for  me  who  know  that  I  am  a  better  ser- 
vant of  the  Kirk  than  you ;  and  for  one  who 
has  stood  in  the  pillory  for  saying  the  filthy 
and  blasphemous  Mass  in  the  Kowgate  of  Edin- 
burgh— " 

"  Nay,  brother,''  he  broke  in,  sharply,  "  I  did 
but  speak  in  general  terms,  and  had  no  thought 
of  touching  your  particular  affairs.  I  spoke  of 
their  famous  Archbishop  and  his  minions — the 
carnal  atheists,  foul  and  bloody  idolaters,  hellish 
witches,  licentious  libertines,  pernicious  flatter- 
ers, and  such  other  devilish  counsellors — "' 

"  Ilaud  ye  there,  man,"  said  a  hoarse  voice 
near  the  door,  "  I  canna  do  wi'  mair  nor  that." 


56 


"  Peace,  mocker ;  depart,  blasphemer,  to  your 
master  Sathan.  But  what  can  be  expected  from 
such  as  you,  when  many  of  those  appointed  to 
preach  the  Word  of  God  are  found  to  be  festered 
and  cankered  with  avarice,  lying,  deceit,  villany, 
hand-shaking  with  bloody  murderers,  sacrilege, 
witchcraft,  simony,  flattery,  apostasy,  tricking, 
obscenity — " 

"  God's  mercy,"  whispered  a  half-witted  wom- 
an who  sat  to  my  left,  "  I  never  kenned  there 
were  sa  mony  deidly  sins." 

"Wheesht,  woman,"  replied  her  neighbor,  "a' 
they  sins  is  amang  the  Ministers  themselves." 
The  preacher,  as  if  intoxicated  by  his  own  pow- 
ers of  abuse — for  which  he  was  greatly  indebted, 
be  it  confessed,  to  Mr.  Andrew  and  Mr.  James — 
Avent  on  to  touch  upon  the  King,  whom  he 
qualified  as  a  "false,  deceitful,  greedy  smayk, 
that  smothered  and  held  down  the  Word  of 
God." 

"  Come  down !"  cried  a  voice  of  thunder  from 
the  door  of  the  chapel.  "  Come  down  at  once, 
you  white-livered,  lying  knave."  A  tall  man, 
armed  with  sword  and  dagger,  and  a  pair  of  pis- 
tolets  at  his  belt,  stood  between  the  people  and 
the  light  streaming  through  the  doorway. 

"I  will  not  come  down,"  bellowed  Mr.  Peter, 
"thougli  all  the  lions  in  hell  were  to  roar  at  me ; 


57 


and  whether  you  are  commissioned  Jiither  by 
God's  silly  vassal,  or  the  Lady  Jezabel,  who — " 

There  was  a  clanking  of  steel  and  a  rush,  and 
the  tali  man,  clearing  the  space  between  the  door 
and  the  pulpit,  ran  up  the  steps  on  one  side  as 
the  pastor  fled  down  the  other  side  and  rushed 
into  the  vestry. 

In  a  few  seconds  we  were  all  out  in  the  kirk- 
yard.  The  stranger  was  holding  his  sword  by 
the  scabbard  and  shaking  the  hilt  of  it  at  Mr. 
Peter,  who  stood  at  a  safe  distance  w^ithout  the 
wall.  The  women  made  haste  to  follow  him, 
and  minister  such  consolation  as  they  might. 
But  the  men  remaining,  one  of  them  made  so 
bold  as  to  put  his  hand  upon  the  stranger's  arm. 

"And  wha  nuiy  ye  be  ?"  said  he. 

"I,"  replied  the  stranger,  with  a  curious  smile 
— "  I  am  Captain  James." 

Thereupon  there  was  a  silence,  and  in  the  space 
of  a  few  seconds  Mr.  Peter's  congregation,  male 
and  female,  melted  away,  leaving  the  intruder 
and  myself  alone  in  the  kirk-yard  ;  for  the  fear  of 
this  man's  name  was  as  great  among  the  humble 
as  it  Avas  among  the  noble  and  rich.  Assuredly 
this  James  Stewart,  ''callit  Earl  of  Arran,"  as 
men  say  now  that  he  is  under  the  ground,  was  a 
man  of  grand  presence.  Tall,  of  great  strength, 
and  brought  up  from  his  youth  to  arms,  he  held 


58 


himself  abov^e  the  jests  of  the  insolent  or  the  prov- 
ocation of  bullies.  His  countenance  was  very 
noble ;  his  nose  straight  and  delicate ;  his  hair 
inclining  to  fair  with  a  shade  of  golden ;  his 
eyes  light  blue.  If  a  fault  could  be  found  witli 
him,  it  was  in  the  haughty  and  imperious  ex- 
pression— which  somewhat  became  him — and  the 
hardness  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth.  But  he 
had  the  brave  appearance  of  a  man  at  his  prime, 
wdio  has  been  bred  both  to  arms  and  the  man- 
ners of  the  Court.  His  dress,  thougli  rich,  was 
sober  in  color,  and  the  dust  on  his  boots  and 
arms  showed  that  he  had  but  recently  come  off 
the  road.  Addressing  me  verj^  gravely  and  with 
much  courtesy,  he  said  : 

"  What  think  ye,  sir,  of  this  ?" 

"  I  w^ould,  my  lord,  that  I  had  not  come  back 
to  the  old  country  to  look  upon  such  scenes." 

"  Aye,  Captain  Andrew,  it  would  have  been 
better  for  you  ;  you  see,  although  3^our  face  and 
figure  are  not  known  to  me,  I  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  you.  I  learned  at  the  castle 
that  you  were  here,  and  as  I  had  that  which  I 
wished  to  say  to  you  I  followed  you.  But  one 
moment  to  close  this  treason  -  hole,  and  as  our 
roads  lie  in  tlie  same  direction  I  shall  be  glad  of 
your  company." 

He   then   carefully  locked   the   doors  of  the 


59 


chapel,  and,  putting  the  irons  in  his  pocket,  came 
back  to  me.  But  as  I  turned  towards  the  road 
by  which  I  came,  he  put  forth  his  hand  and 
sta3'ed  me. 

"Nay,"  said  he;  "  let  us  cross  the  river  liigher 
up.  When  I  am  Hghtly  accompanied  I  return 
from  no  place  b}^  the  road  I  take  in  coming.  I 
said,  sir,  that  it  might  be  better  for  you  not  to 
be  in  Scotland ;  but  that  hangs  upon  what  you 
mean  to  do.  Now  I  will  be  frank  with  3"ou,  for 
3'ou  are  reputed  to  be  an  honest  man,  as  well  as 
a  soldier  and  courtier.  You  must  have  seen 
enough  of  this  country  to  know  that  no  man 
is  safe  in  it  without  taking  one  part  or  an- 
other." 

"  I  know  not  that,"  said  I ;  "  I  have  nothing 
that  men  may  covet,  and  I  confess  the  divisions 
in  the  State  are  so  strange  that  I  understand 
them  not," 

"  No ;  3^ou  are  scarce  so  simple  as  that.  It  is 
the  Peregrine  Ministers  and  Vanished  Lords  in 
England  against  the  Earl  of  Arran ;  but,  by  the 
body  of  God !  1  will  break  theni  all.  Not  a 
Minister  or  Lord  of  the  whole  pack  shall  cross 
the  Border  but  his  head  leaps  from  his  shoulders. 
All  this  would  have  been  at  an  end  long  ago  but 
for  the  she-devil  who  sits  and  fumes  and  frets 
upon  the  Euglish  throne.     She  has  kept  these 


GO 


rebels  in  Newcastle  and  Berwick,  at  the  King's 
nose,  these  twelv^e  months  past." 

"  You  have  heavy  metal  against  you,  my  lord. 
You  have  put  the  Kirk  against  ^"ou ;  and  though 
I  am  neither  for  Paul  nor  Apollos,  for  Mr.  An- 
drew nor  the  Bishop,  you  have  been  very  sore 
upon  the  Saints." 

"The  Saints!  the  long -faced,  canting  hypo- 
crites. Why,  I  undertook  to  give  them  every 
satisfaction.  I  attended  their  long,  dreary  dis- 
courses, I  listened  without  murmuring  to  the 
abuse  they  poured  upon  me  from  the  pulpit,  I 
winked  at  their  treason  and  blasphemy.  I  actu- 
ally did  penance  in  the  presence  of  the  King — 
the  stool  of  repentance.  Captain  Andrew — I,  the 
first  man  in  the  kingdom  after  his  Majesty.  And 
they  would  none  of  me.  It  came  to  be  a  ques- 
tion whether  Mr.  Andrew  or  I  was  to  go.  So  I 
got  ready  a  comfortable  chamber  in  Blackness 
Castle,  with  the  boots  handy,  and  took  care  that 
he  had  news  of  what  I  was  doing.  As  I  ex- 
pected, he  found  about  that  time  that  he  had 
occasion  to  visit  the  godly,  if  there  be  any,  at 
Oxford  and  Cambridge." 

I  knew  that  this  man  was  playing  a  desperate 
game.  In  every  quarter  he  was  making  interest 
to  meet  the  dangers  which  threatened  him.  JSTow 
it  was  the  French  Court,  now  the  Earl  of  Both- 


61 


well  and  Lord  Maxwell,  or  some  of  the  Highland 
chieftains ;  and  again  he  did  his  very  best  to  win 
the  good-will  of  the  Queen  of  England.  With- 
out the  last,  I  well  knew,  his  failure  was  only  a 
question  of  time. 

"  Now,  Eviot,"  he  resumed,  "  what  I  want  at 
this  moment,  and  what  I  cannot  find,  is  an  hon- 
est man.  Believe  me,  there  is  not  such  a  man  in 
Scotland,  if  it  be  not  the  Earl  of  March,  who  is  a 
fool,  or  Sir  James  Melvill,  who  is  an  obstinate, 
officious  meddler.  I  have  some  men  like  Adam 
Hepburn,  Monro,  and  Colin  Ramsay,  whom  I 
knew  in  the  old  days  in  France  and  the  Low 
Countries.  They  will.be  faithful  enough  so  long 
as  their  hiring  lasts,  but  they  would  sell  me  to 
the  devil  for  a  groat  when  it  ends.  His  Majesty 
has  need  of  men  of  a  different  kind.  You  have 
no  objection  to  serve  his  Majesty  ?" 

"  None  whatever,"  said  I,  well  knowing  what 
he  meant ;  "  it  was  the  hope  that  I  might  serve 
him  which  brought  me  home;  but  I  would  fain 
have  speech  with  his  Majesty,  and  with  your 
permission  I  will  ride  over  to  Falkland  to- 
morrow, and  petition  him  for  a  release  from  my 
ward." 

At  this  the  Earl  shook  his  head  gravely. 

"  I  should  hardly  advise  that.  I  Avill  speak  to 
him  myself;  and  yet — and  yet  it  might  be  better 


G2 


SO.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  he  who  serves  the 
King  serves  me." 

To  this  I  bowed  ;  but  I  thought  to  myself  that 
the  King  might  tell  a  very  different  tale  if  he 
chose. 

So  far  I  had  nothing  but  soft  w^ords  from  the 
Chancellor.  'Not  a  word  about  the  scuffle  at 
Fastcastle,  or  the  tearing  up  of  Roger  Algate's 
warrant,  which,  I  never  doubted,  was  the  work 
of  the  Countess.  But  I  knew  the  man's  charac- 
ter well  by  reputation.  My  life  was  not  worth 
a  minute's  purchase  if  he  thought  that  I  balked 
him  in  the  meanest  wish ;  but  he  would  enter- 
tain me  with  kind  words  for  a  space,  though  he 
meant  the  w^orst.  I  was  keen  to  be  off  to  Falk- 
land. I  would  start  early  the  following  morn- 
ing, and — said  I  to  myself — not  all  the  kings  in 
Christendom  will  send  me  back  to  this  man. 

"We  parted  within  the  yard  of  the  castle,  and  I 
went  within  to  my  apartment,  wondering  whether 
Mr.  Peter  Wilkie  was  an  avenging  angel  or  the 
mean,  malignant  churl  he  seemed  to  me — whether 
the  Earl  of  Arran  really  meant  me  mischief — 
whether  I  should  ever  reach  Falkland — and  if  I 
did,  what  the  King  would  say  to  me — or  whether 
he  might  not  altogether  refuse  to  see  me.  What 
was  that  ?  Was  it  not —  Yes ;  somebody  was  in 
my  chamber.     And  greatly  indeed  did  I  marvel 


63 


■when  I  saw  that  two  Avomen  were  busied  with 
my  liumble  possessions.  One  Avas  on  her  knees, 
throwing  tliem  out  and  sifting  them  ;  the  other, 
who  carefully  handled  each  article,  was  a  woman 
of  very  great  presence,  a  Juno  in  form  and  face, 
though  too  much  inclined  to  flesh.  The  lips, 
however,  were  full  and  sensual,  and  albeit  she 
was  handsome,  there  was  an  impression  in  the 
features  of  greed  and  selfishness  which  women 
who  are  greedy  and  selfish  can  seldom  conceal. 

Truly  the  Ministers  were  right  when  they  said 
that  Captain  James  was  well  mated,  for  this  was 
the  Countess  of  Arran. 


CHAPTER  VI 

"  A  BLACK  camlet  jacket — new ;  a  satin  doublet; 
a  riding-coat  guarded  with  velvet.  A  pretty  man 
indeed  !  If  I  could  but  find  some  item  of  Popery 
in  the  j^ochette  —  for  I  shall  find  nothing  else. 
Where  does  the  man  carry  his  money  ?    Ah — " 

O  Monstrous  Remment,  is  nothino:  sacred  from 
your  claws?  Is  there  no  secret  into  which  your 
eager  eyes  will  not  pry  ? 

The  woman  who  took  so  much  freedom  with 
my  wardrobe  was  reputed  the  most  impudent 
and  shameless  in  Scotland — and  that  is  to  say 
not  a  little.  She  disposed  of  her  second  and 
married  her  third  husband  under  circumstances 
which  were  not  usual ;  but  she  flinched  not  from 
them.  Nor  did  she  scruple  to  undergo  the  pen- 
ance prescribed  by  the  Kirk,  though  she  gave 
many  grievous  Avords  that  she,  being  the  daugh- 
ter of  an  ancient  house,  should  be  moved  to  hum- 
ble herself  in  public.  Now  she  had  her  revenge 
upon  the  Kirk ;  but  if  the  Earl  of  Arran  ever 
had  hope  of  success  in  Scotland,  the  cruelty, 
greed,  and  rapacity  of  the  Countess  had  surely 


65 


quenched  it.  On  all  sides  she  extorted  money ; 
and  my  poor  treasure  had  not  escaped  her 
clutches  but  that  I  carried  with  me — and  that 
upon  my  person — only  what  I  required  for  im- 
mediate use.  For  a  moment  she  was  taken  aback, 
and  lost  her  speech. 

"Madame  docs  me  too  much  honor,"  said  I, 
bowing  low ;  "  and  there  is  not  one  of  these  poor 
possessions  which  will  not  have  a  double  value 
for  me,  now  that  they  have  passed  through  ma- 
darae's  hands." 

"  There  is  more  sense  in  that,  sir,  than  you 
think  for ;  for  I  have  washed  my  hands  in  the 
Hole  of  Euthven,  the  water  of  which  is  of  virtue 
against  the  Pest.  But  in  truth  I  am  here  on 
another  errand.  Having  no  assurance  of  you, 
Captain  Eviot,  or  your  presence  here,  I  took  upon 
hand  to  see  that  you  brought  with  you  neither 
book,  writing,  nor  monument  of  Papistry.  I 
might  have  directed  Eynian,  who  is  a  ryper  or 
licensed  searcher,  to  do  this  office — which,  be  you 
sure,  is  not  grateful — but  having  regard  for  you, 
I  have  undertaken  it  myself." 

"  I  trust  Madame  the  Countess  is  satisfied  with 
what  she  has  seen." 

"More  or  less.  Your  copy  of  the  Scripture 
does  not  bear  as  much  witness  of  use  as  might 
be  Avished ;  and  some  part  of  your  wardrobe  in- 

5 


66 


dicates  a  sad  leaning  to  the  vain  show  of  the 
world.  But  be  frank  with  me,  Captain  Andrew  " 
(here  she  came  close  to  me,  laying  her  hand 
upon  my  arm),  "  and  you  will  not  regret  it. 
What  made  his  Majesty  send  you  here  ?" 

"  I  only  wish  I  could  tell  you,"  said  I,  throw- 
ing my  arms  abroad. 

"  Then,"  replied  she,  with  an  incredulous  sneer, 
"you  neither  know  nor  guess  the  reason?" 

"  I  have  not  the  wildest  conception  of  what  it 
all  means." 

"  So  be  it ;  but  at  least  you  can  answer  a 
blunt  question — who  pays  you  ?" 

"Blunt  indeed  and  deficient,"  said  I,  with  a 
contemptuous  laugh,  for  I  was  provoked  for  the 
moment,  and  I  felt  the  blood  mount  to  my 
throat.  I  think  she  saw  that  she  had  lost  her 
way. 

"  Well,  who  pays  for  all  this  ?"  she  retorted, 
pointing  to  my  scattered  wardrobe.  "  You  have 
two  men  and  three  horses  here.  How  is  it  all 
done  ?  If  you  do  it  on  your  own  means,  you 
may  at  least  say  who  can  answer  for  it."  The 
fiend  had  put  her  finger  upon  the  weakest  point 
of  my  position.  I  had  a  letter  of  credit  to  a 
merchant  in  Edinburgh  from  Antwerp;  but  to 
name  him  to  this  harpy  was  to  lose  every  groat 
I  had   in  the  world.     She  sold  for  hard  cash 


67 


every  suit  which  came  before  the  Council  or  the 
Session,  and  complaints  were  manufactured  by 
the  score  in  order  that  the  victims  of  them 
should  buy  them  off  through  her.  I  was  in  her 
hands  for  the  moment ;  but  as  she  did  not  veil 
her  hostility  to  me,  to  make  a  stand  here  could 
not  make  matters  worse. 

"Madame  will  pardon  me,"  said  I;  "but  the 
name  of  the  person  who  is  answerable  for  my 
means  is  a  matter  between  him  and  myself." 

"  Ah  !  is  it  so  you  answer  us  ?  AVe  shall  see 
by  to-morrow.  For  the  present  I  will  hope  that 
you  prove  not  the  busy  and  dangerous  trafficker 
you  are  said  to  be."  And  so,  with  a  stiff  incli- 
nation of  the  head,  she  descended  the  turnpike 
stair,  which  was  indeed  the  only  means  of  access 
to  my  apartment. 

What  happened  thereafter  I  will  set  down 
with  some  cu*cumstance,  because  part  thereof, 
and  part  only,  becoming  known  to  sundry  in 
that  country,  a  romance  grew  upon  it  which  did 
some  injustice  to  those  wdio  deserved  it  not. 

Having  given  directions  for  an  early  start  on 
the  following  morning,  I  sat  within  my  chamber 
searching  for  light  without  finding  it.  It  seemed 
that  for  some  cause  the  Arrans  had  taken  me 
in  suspicion  before  I  landed  in  Scotland,  and 
strange  it  was  that,  although  in  their  hands,  they 


68 


bad  allowed  me  to  remain  unmolested  for  some 
weeks.  But  now  they  Avere  to  be  resolved  of 
me  one  way  or  another.  I  thought,  too,  of  Mr. 
Peter  Wilkie.  Were  he  and  the  Ministers  of  bis 
kidney  in  the  right,  and  was  I  in  the  wrong? 
Were  they  so  good,  and  the  rest  of  us  so  vile  ? 
Were  they,  as  they  were  never  weary  of  saying, 
the  "  best "  people ;  and  was  humanity  to  be 
swept  into  Paradise  by  the  terrors  of  lire  and 
brimstone  rather  than  by  the  love  of  God  ? 

Finding  to  my  hand  the  Book  which,  the 
Countess  truly  said,  might  have  shown  more 
traces  of  use,  I  opened  it  in  sundry  places,  and 
therein  I  read  not  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ  was 
preached  with  blasphemous  and  scurrilous  abuse. 
But  it  is  written  in  the  Book  that  the  Master, 
who  himself  knew  what  was  in  man,  was  sent 
into  the  world  not  to  judge,  but  that  the  world 
should  be  saved.  And  indeed  I  could  find  noth- 
ing which  recalled  to  me  the  bellowings  of  Mr. 
Peter  and  his  like. 

As  I  sat  so  thinking  something  touched  me 
smartly  upon  the  cheek  and  fell  with  a  faint 
sound  upon  the  floor.  Marvelling  what  it  might 
be,  I  sought  for  it  some  time  Avitliout  success ; 
but  it  was  not  until  I  groped  on  hands  and  knees 
that  I  found  it  under  the  bent  or  white  grass 
with  which  the  floor  was  strewn.     A  piece  of 


69 


paper  wrapped  round  a  small  pebble,  which  must 
have  been  thrown  through  the  window  —  and 
thrown  from  the  western  wing,  for  the  window 
Avas  so  far  from  the  ground  that  one  could  hard- 
ly hope  to  throw  into  it  from  below.  The 
paper  was  Avritten  upon,  and  this  is  what  I  read 
in  it : 


"  At  ten  hours  to-night — on  the  parapet  of  the 
west  wing — you  shall  have  that  you  seek.  Turn 
to  the  left  when  you  cross,  and  go  sunways 
round  the  parapet.  J.  U." 

The  handwriting  was  unknown  to  me,  but  the 
initials  —  could  they  stand  for  aught  but  Jean 
Uchiltrie  ?  Then,  were  they  genuine,  or  did  they 
conceal  a  trap?  I  could  not  tell  that  the  paper 
came  from  Jean  Uchiltrie,  for  I  knew  not  her 
writing;  and  if  it  came  from  her,  how  knew 
I  that  she  would  not  trick  me,  and  what  did 
she  mean  ?  Again,  if  it  were  sent  by  others 
in  her  name,  the  intention  could  scarce  be 
friendly. 

I  puzzled  my  brains  over  this  until  I  was  in 
a  fever  of  doubt.  First  I  would  go,  then  wild 
horses  would  not  make  me  go;  and  in  that  mind 
was  I  when  the  hour  arrived. 

Thus,  though  still  unresolved,  I  went  out  upon 


70 


the  battlements,  and  greatly  marvelled  to  find, 
what  I  had  never  seen  before,  a  substantial  plank 
thrown  across  and  bridging  the  space — about  ten 
feet — between  the  parapets  of  the  two  wings. 
The  invitation  was  plain.  "Was  it  given  by  a 
friend  or  an  enemy  ? 

It  could  do  no  harm  to  test  the  bridge,  and  this 
I  did  after  a  time,  finding  that  it  was  firm,  and 
that  at  least  there  was  no  intention  that  I  should 
fall  into  the  abyss  between  the  two  wings.  From 
testing  the  bridge  to  crossing  was  but  a  small 
step  ;  for  though  there  was  a  fall  of  sixty  feet 
below  me,  I  had  a  good  head  and  a  sure  foot,  and 
the  trick  was  one  I  had  often  practised.  A  ten- 
foot  plank  is  soon  passed. 

Once  across  I  made  a  mistake.  I  should  have 
held  to  the  left ;  but  so  engrossed  was  my  mind 
that  I  followed  the  parapet  to  the  right.  After 
turning  the  first  angle  I  crept  along  by  the 
northern  side  until  I  came  to  some  steps,  which  I 
descended.  I  then  became  aware  of  a  light  com- 
ing from  a  door  or  open  window  within  a  few 
feet  of  me.  I  was  in  doubt  whether  to  go  back 
or  stay  where  I  was  when  I  was  arrested  by  my 
lord's  voice. 

"  What  is  it,  Bess  ?  Why  are  you  at  this 
again  ?" 

"  'Tis  but  M'Kuskan  Grossok,"  replied  a  voice. 


71 


which  I  recognized,  "  who  is  helping  me  to  win 
some  hght." 

"  You  will  be  burned,  and  the  rest  of  us  with 
you,  for  the  rusty,  miskenning  scoundrel,  if  you 
look  not  how  you  go." 

"  Well,  you  have  allowed  our  man  to  go  to- 
morrow, and  he  will  never  come  back." 

"Leave  him  to  me,  leave  him  to  me;  he  will 
never  come  back." 

"  Then  leave  me  to  find  out  what  I  can  in  my 
own  way.  You  will  not  have  justice  ministrat 
upon  him,  and  you  will  not  allow  him  to  be  boot- 
ed, although  the  boots  were  brought  over  for  the 
purpose.  I  confess  that  I  should  be  sorry  that 
so  proper  a  man  were  spoiled  by  the  boots,  but 
you  know  we  are  quite  at  large  about  him." 

"  Leave  him  to  me,  Bess.  He  will  get  more 
than  he  thinks  for  if  he  does  not  see  reason."  It 
seemed  to  me,  judging  from  the  sound,  that  on 
this  the  speaker  left  the  room. 

I  listened  to  this  without  the  slightest  scruple. 
I  care  not  for  other  folk's  talk ;  but  Avhen  there 
are  words  about  booting  and  ministrating  justice 
upon  a  gentleman — and  that  gentleman  is  one's 
self — well,  let  those  who  prefer  to  be  booted  save 
their  ears.  But  I  was  minded  to  do  more  than 
listen,  for,  creeping  noiselessly  forward,  I  peered 
through  the  window. 


72 


What  I  saw  was  this :  The  room  was  light- 
ed by  a  rag-wicked  candle.  In  the  middle  of  it 
was  a  small  table,  such  as  men  use  for  playing 
cards  upon,  at  which  an  undersized  man,  with  a 
face  like  a  ferret,  was  sitting.  There  "was  noth- 
ing upon  the  table,  although — for  what  I  could 
see  —  some  figures  or  designs  may  have  been 
traced  thereon ;  but  the  ferret  -  faced  man  was 
gazing  attentively  at  it.  The  Countess  w^as 
standing  behind  him  with  her  face  to  the 
wall. 

" Do  you  see  her?"  said  the  lady. 

"  Yes." 

"  Where  is  she  ?" 

"  In  the  kirk-yard  of  Glendevon." 

"  What  is  she  doing  ?" 

"  She  is  behind  the  big  gravestone,  lying  on 
her  face  on  the  grass,  watching  the  great  trout 
that  lies  in  the  corner  of  the  black  pool." 

"  What  does  she  say  ?" 

"  '  Banes  to  the  fire,  and  soul  to  hell.' " 

"  Oh  yes  ;  I  know  that.     Anything  else  ?" 

"  Listen — 

"  '  Leap,  little  loon,  across  the  moon ; 

Put  out  the  lamp  of  Heaven. 
For  devils  lurk  behind  the  kirk, 
And  villains  wait  to  set  the  gate 

Or  he  rides  in  Glendevon.'" 


rd 


I  misliked  the  mention  of  Glendevon,  for  I 
knew  it  of  old  for  a  place  which  was  greatly  af- 
fected by  those  who  hold  communion  with  Sathan. 
For  the  trout  in  the  black  pool — 'tis  said  by  some 
that  a  trout  hath  but  a  life  of  ten  years;  but  the 
most  ao-ed  indwellers  in  the  Glen  had  knowledire 
of  that  trout  during  all  their  lives,  and  I  can 
bear  witness  after  a  space  of  twenty  years  that 
it  is  there  still. 

"  I  understand  not  that,"  said  ray  lady,  "  and 
in  any  case  it  is  not  Avhat  I  want.  Have  you  the 
cards?" 

The  weazened  man  fetched  a  small  box,  from 
which  he  took  a  pack  of  cards,  and,  selecting 
about  twenty  from  the  pack,  began  to  deal 
them.  His  mistress  now  stood  behind  him  and 
looked  over  his  shoulder.  He  first  cut  the  cards 
and  dealt  them  into  two  heaps — two  cards  each 
time  to  the  left  heap  and  one  to  the  right.  He 
then  took  them  up  and  dealt  them  again,  revers- 
ing the  proportion.  Finally  he  dealt  every  third 
card  into  a  small  heap,  and,  taking  the  third  card 
from  the  top  of  the  heaj),  turned  it  over  on  its 
face. 

"  It's  Craft,"  said  the  Countess,  after  looking 
carefully  at  the  card.  "  James  is  right,  and  yet 
the  design  is  very  like  the  other." 

I  could  see  the  card  from  where  I  crouched, 


for  the  light  fell  upon  it.  It  bore  a  design  on 
which  were  two  castles  standing  together,  and  the 
moon  was  shining  upon  them.  A  road  leading 
from  the  castles  and  disappearing  on  the  horizon 
was  stained  with  drops  of  blood.  It  was  the 
card  known  as  La  Lune  in  the  Tarot,  As  I 
craned  my  neck  forward  to  see  this  precious 
sight  I  felt  a  soft  touch  on  my  arm  which  made 
my  flesh  creep.  I  fairly  shivered  from  head  to 
foot.  I  dared  not  turn  quickly  round,  lest  I 
should  draw  the  attention  of  the  persons  in  the 
room ;  if  I  did  not  turn,  my  enemy  might  strike 
from  behind.  I  took  my  chance  of  the  latter 
risk,  and,  drawing  myself  slowly  back,  turned 
round  to  find  myself  face  to  face  with — Jean 
Uchiltrie ;  and  for  the  first  time  it  flashed  across 
my  mind  that  after  crossing  the  plank  I  should 
have  held  to  the  left. 

Without  giving  time  for  speech  she  turned, 
and,  signing  to  me  to  follow,  remounted  the 
steps  Avith  extreme  caution.  When  we  were 
safely  on  the  other  side  of  the  building  she 
stopped,  and,  putting  her  face  very  close  to  mine, 
in  a  manner  by  no  means  displeasing,  said,  in  a 
whisper : 

"Are  you  a  fool  or  only  a  bold  man?  You 
never  were  in  greater  danger  in  your  life  than 
you  have  been  within  the  last  few  minutes.     Put 


3^our  head  down — low — lower,"  She  put  her 
arms  round  ray  neck.  I  was  in  a  maze  of  as- 
tonishment; I  thought  she  was  going  to  kiss 
me.  The  imperious  beauty  Avas  going  to  kiss  the 
flouted  soldier  of  fortune.  But  she  was  not — of 
course  not ;  and  I  was  glad  and  I  was  sorry 
when  I  found  that  instead  of  embracing  me  she 
was  simply  putting  a  necklace  or  a  chain  round 
my  neck. 

"  Now  you  have  it,"  she  said.  "  "Wear  it  inside 
your  doublet." 

"I  will,"  I  murmured;  "but  what  is  it?" 

"  It  is  the  X,  of  course." 

"  The  X  ?"  I  said.     "  What  on  earth  is  that  ?" 

"  Are  you  frenzied,  man  ?  Did  you  not  write 
yourself  and  ask  me  for  it  ?" 

"  That  I  can  safeh'  say  I  never  did." 

"  What !  you  didn't  ?  Then,  sir,  you  will  be 
good  enough  to  give  it  back  to  me." 

"Nay,"  said  I;  "I  shall  keep  the  chain  now 
that  I  have  it,  for  I  Avould  teach  you  that  I  am 
■worthy  of  more  trust  than  you  have  hitherto 
given  me.  But  go  at  once  ;  for,  look  you,  if  you 
received  a  missive  which  purported  to  come  from 
me,  it  is  like  that  a  trap  has  been  laid  for  us. 
Ere  it  be  too  late  I  will  bid  you  not  good-b3'e, 
but  au  revoirP 

I  could  not  see,  and  I  did  not  stop  to  see,  the 


effect  of  these  words,  but  hastened  back  to  the 
plank.  I  again  took  the  precaution  of  testing  it, 
and  it  was  well  I  did  so,  for  no  sooner  did  I  put 
my  foot  upon  it  than  it  slipped  from  under  me 
and  disappeared  over  the  parapet. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  loss  of  the  plank  was  a  serious  matter  for 
me — and  others.  I  had  been  in  haste  to  return 
to  my  own  part  of  the  castle,  because  it  Avas 
clear  that  somebod}'"  had  laid  a  trap  for  me  or 
Mistress  Jean,  or  both  of  us.  And  now  I  could 
not  go  back  at  all.  The  person  who  had  forged 
the  letter  in  my  name  had  succeeded  in  part  of 
his  object :  Jean  Uchiltrie  had  passed  the  X  into 
my  keeping.  But  he  liad  possibly  not  thought 
of  the  plank  bridge,  and  as  yet  did  not  know 
what  had  happened.  And  yet  he  might  be  wait- 
ing to  catch  me  in  an  equivocal  position ;  if 
so,  it  seemed  that  he  had  succeeded,  and  I  was 
caught  like  a  rat  in  a  trap. 

I  crept  back  to  the  bartizan,  where  the  girl 
was  still  watching  me. 

"  Tell  me,''  said  I — "  this  is  no  time  for  words, 
but  tell  me — what  chance  is  there  that  I  may 
pass  through  the  house  unseen  ?" 

"  Absolutely  none.  You  must  ]iass  through 
the  rooms  on  the  first  floor,  where  are  my  Lord 
of  Arran's  men.     If  you  took  them  by  surprise 


78 


you  might  make  a  push  for  it ;  that  is  your  best, 
your  only,  course.  You  don't  know  those  people 
as  I  do  or  you  would  know  that.  If  you  are 
found  here  you  will  be  pitched  over  the  battle- 
ment without  more  ado,  and  no  questions  asked. 
Draw  your  sword,  sir,  I  say,  and  commit  you  to 
God." 

"  No,  no.  Mistress  Jean ;  that  would  be  but  a 
forlorn -hope  at  the  best,  and  I  must  think  of 
others.  I  must  not  be  seen  here,  and  there  is 
but  one  way  for  that.  See,  it  is  but  ten  feet 
from  here  to  the  keep." 

"  For  the  love  of  God  think  not  of  that ;  it  is 
certain  death." 

I  thought  diiferently.  A  ten-foot  jump  is  no 
great  matter,  even  without  a  run,  but  there  were 
circumstances  which  made  this  leap  more  peril- 
ous than  even  Jean  Uchiltrie  thought.  The  par- 
apet upon  which  Ave  stood  was  two  or  three  feet 
lower  than  the  parapet  of  the  keep,  so  that  when 
the  plank  was  thrown  across  one  end  of  it  rested 
upon  the  parapet  of  the  keep  and  the  other  end 
upon  the  roof  of  the  Avestern  Aving,  at  a  point 
some  feet  above  the  parapet.  How  tliis  end  of 
the  plank  had  become  dislodged  from  its  position 
on  the  roof  I  could  not  tell.  But  it  was  clear 
enough  that,  if  I  attempted  to  leap,  I  should  ha\^e 
to  jump  upward,  and  that,  as  the  parapet  of  the 


79 


keep  "Was  liiglier  by  three  feet,  I  could  not  make 
a  clean  jump  of  it.  My  only  hojie  was  that  I 
might  land  so  as  to  grip  the  top  of  the  parapet 
with  my  arms. 

I  examined  the  place  with  great  care,  and  End- 
ing that  the  two  buildings  were  not  exactly  par- 
allel, but  that  they  diverged  towards  the  north, 
and  approached  each  other  at  their  southern 
ends,  I  chose  a  spot  at  the  narrowest  point. 
Mounting  here,  with  my  left  foot  upon  the  top 
of  the  parapet  and  my  right  upon  the  roof,  I 
measured  the  distance  and  elevation  with  my 
eye,  and  made  my  spring. 

I  landed  well  and  according  to  my  calculation, 
but  just  before  my  arms  gripped  the  parapet  my 
foot  struck  against  something — I  missed  my  hold 
and  fell.  As  I  fell  I  caught — as  a  drowning  man 
catches — at  the  parapet,  and  my  hand  grasped 
one  of  the  gutters  which  protruded  just  above 
the  corbels.  It  was  doubtless  against  this  object 
that  my  foot  had  struck  ;  and,  as  it  had  destroyed 
me  a  second  before,  so  now  it  gave  me  life — for 
a  few  moments.  It  was  but  a  slender  thing  to 
bear  my  Aveight',  and  I  knew  I  could  not  cling 
long  to  it.  I  tried  to  raise  myself  and  reach  the 
top  of  the  parapet  with  my  hand,  l)ut  I  failed. 
I  tried  again,  and  failed.  Then  I  knew  I  was 
done,  and  my  weight  uj)ou  tlie  gutter  seemed  to 


80 


double.  It  was  but  a  few  seconds  to  wait,  and 
I  should  be  falling  down  —  down.  I  thought 
of  the  girl,  who,  I  knew,  w^as  watching  me 
but  ten  feet  away,  and  w^ho,  in  her  anxie- 
t}^  not  to  unnerve  me,  had  not  uttered  a 
sound. 

I  was  beginning  to  grow  dazed  when  I  heard 
a  small,  soft  voice  behind  me  —  it  seemed  to 
speak  in  my  ear  : 

"  Turn  your  face  to  the  left." 

Up  to  that  point  I  had  hung  with  my  face 
towards  the  south.  I  now  turned  mechanically 
to  the  north,  and  saw  the  lost  plank  lianging  by 
a  rope  within  eighteen  inches  of  me.  I  remem- 
ber noticing,  when  I  first  saw  it,  that  a  rope  with 
a  noose  was  attached  to  my  end  of  it.  Without 
any  conscious  purpose  I  had  passed  the  noose 
over  a  projection  of  the  battlement,  and  the  re- 
sult w^as  that,  when  the  farther  end  of  the  plank 
slipped  off  the  roof  of  the  west  wing,  the  plank 
itself  was  suspended  by  the  rope  from  the  para- 
pet of  the  keep. 

I  was  now  very  much  exhausted,  but  I  was 
able  to  shift  my  hands  to  the  rope,  and  could 
coil  my  legs  round  the  plank,  and  that  done  I 
was  a  new  man.  I  was  soon  out  of  danger,  with 
tlie  loss  of  a  few  inches  of  skin  from  my  knuckles ; 
but,  indeed,  at  the  moment  1  would  readily  have 


m 


given  the  knuckles  themselves  of  both  my  hands 
in  return  for  my  life. 

I  leaned  against  the  doorway  in  the  roof  inca- 
pable of  speech,  and  the  gii'l  still  stood  watch- 
ing me  from  the  other  side  of  the  chasm.  Quick- 
ly gathering  for  what  she  waited,  I  drew  up  the 
plank,  and  poised  it  again  upon  the  opposite 
roof,  whence  she  bore  it  away  to  its  own  place. 

All  this  passed  quickly  ;  but  my  absence  from 
the  keep  even  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  might 
have  drawn  some  attention  to  Avhat  was  hap- 
pening. 1  found  no,  sign  of  this  in  my  own  room ; 
but  it  was  well  I  had  not  lingered,  for  I  had  no 
sooner  washed  the  blood  from  my  hands  and 
bound  them  up  than  I  had  a  visit  from  no  less 
a  person  than  my  Lord  himself.  If  this  man 
knew  or  had  any  suspicion  of  my  adventure,  he 
had  a  rare  command  of  himself.  He  broug-ht 
with  him  a  letter  for  the  King,  which  he  begged 
me  to  carry  with  me  to  Falkland  in  the  morning, 
inasmuch  as  he  could  not  attend  the  Court  for  a 
day  or  two  to  come. 

When  he  Avas  gone  I  looked  first  at  the  letter, 
but  the  exterior  bore  nothing  but  these  Avords  : 
"To  the  King,  his  most  Sacred  Majestic."  1 
was  grateful  for  this  errand,  because  it  would  in- 
sure me  audience  of  his  Majesty,  and  I  ])laced 
the  letter  carefully  within  my  doublet. 


But  I'was  eager,  above  all,  to  see  what  man- 
ner of  necklace  Jean  Uchiltrie  had  cast  about  my 
neck.  I  found  it  to  be  a  chain  of  massive  gold 
links,  an  ornament  which  must  have  cost  a  great 
sum  of  mone3^  The  chain,  however,  was  but  a 
worthless  toy  compared  with  the  jewel  it  carried. 
This  jewel  was  in  the  shape  of  an  X,  or,  rather, 
St.  Andrew's  Cross.  It  consisted  of  nine  dia- 
monds or  white  sapphires  of  great  size  and  beauty 
set  in  gold,  with  roses  of  gold  between  the  stones. 
On  the  back  were  the  letters  spI'.  but  I  did  not 
at  that  time  guess  what  they  might  signify.  I 
gazed  upon  it  with  delight,  and,  as  I  was  to  make 
an  early  start  in  the  morning,  replaced  it  within 
my  doublet,  where,  at  all  events,  it  was  as  safe 
as  my  own  life.  I  threw  myself  upon  my  pallet  5 
but,  being  disturbed  in  my  mmd  by  the  oc- 
currences of  tlie  day,  I  did  not  extinguish  my 
candle. 

What  made  the  Countess  raise  the  arras  in  the 
corner  of  the  room  by  the  turnpike  stair  ?  Was 
she  not  well  called  the  Lady  Jezabel  ?  I  liked 
not  this  coming  to  nw  room  by  night.  I  could 
not  suffer  that.  And  she  smiled  with  a  kindness 
which  was  not  familiar  to  her  features.  Me- 
thought  her  smile  was  almost  what  I  pictured  to 
be  an  angel's.  What  had  wrought  tliis  change 
in  the  woman?     And  why  should  she  put  her 


88 


hands  upon  ni}'-  neck  ?  Ah  !  the  chain  ;  no,  it 
was  not  that,  for  she  knew  not  that  I  had  it : 
l)ut  it  was  to  strangle  nie,  and  her  hands  were 
strong. 

I  tried  to  rise,  but  I  could  not  move  a  joint  of 
my  body,  far  less  struggle  —  and  I  was  being 
killed.  After  what  seemed  a  long  time  I  awoke ; 
it  was  a  dream,  but  even  so  it  Avas  some  mmutes 
before  I  could  move.  The  candle  had  burned 
out,  and  the  chill  morning  air  came  through  the 
window.  It  was  a  dream,  thank  God,  and  I  slept 
again. 

About  six  hours  of  the  morning  I  was  roused 
by  Carryg,  and  quickly  descended  to  the  castle- 
yard,  simply  satisfying  myself  that  the  letter  and 
jewel  were  safe  within  my  doublet.  We  were  a 
party  of  four,  for  Barabbas,  accordmg  to  custom, 
was  one  of  us.  1  wore  my  steel-bonnet  and 
armor,  and  the  other  three  had  lance-staves  and 
plate-sleeves,  for  I  knew  now  that  the  strong 
hand  was  the  law  of  Scotland,  and  I  did  not  in- 
tend to  be  cut  off — if  cut  off  I  must  be — without 
a  struggle. 

Going  easily,  for  part  of  the  road  -was  very 
steep,  Ave  reached  Falkland  before  noon  with  but 
one  incident  to  break  the  quiet  of  the  ride.  After 
crossing  the  Earn  the  road  rises  gently  for  a  few 
miles,  but  the  ascent  into  the  Pass  of  Dron  de- 


84 


layed  us  somewhat.  As  we  were  coming  into 
Glenfarg,  below  the  Clochrigstane,  we  heard  far 
ahead  of  us  the  sound  of  a  horse  coming  towards 
us  at  a  great  speed.  Presently  a  cry  from  the 
far  side  of  the  valley  and  above  us  drew  our  at- 
tention to  a  rider  whom  I  recognized  as  one  of 
my  Lord  of  Arran's  men.  lie  pointed  as  he  rode 
to  the  stream  where  the  ford  lay  between  us,  and 
shouted  loudly.  Although  we  saw  not  the  ford 
for  the  trees,  I  gathered  that  he  was  in  pursuit 
of  somebody  who  was  crossing  the  river.  It  was 
as  I  thought,  for  we  soon  espied  a  horseman 
coming  down  the  hill  at  full  speed. 

Not  being  minded  to  dip  in  quarrels  which 
were  none  of  mine,  I  drew  my  horse  to  one  side  ; 
and,  the  others  following  my  example,  it  seemed 
that  there  would  be  no  interference  from  my 
party.  But  just  as  the  man  passed  Barabbas 
touched  his  mare  with  the  spur  and  picked  his 
man  out  of  the  saddle  with  his  lance.  Whether 
by  the  fall  or  the  point  of  the  lance  the  fellow 
was,  I  believe,  quite  dead;  anyway,  he  moved 
not,  but  lay  as  he  fell,  with  the  face  downward, 
lie  was  scarce  there  before  Barabbas  dismount- 
ed, and,  bending  over  him — though  without  in 
any  way  moving  the  body — possessed  himself  of 
everything  he  had  about  him — that  is  to  say,  of 
a  whinger,  a  knife,  some  string,  a  coral  necklace, 


85 


an  old  horse-comb,  a  Portugal  ducat,  two  Eose 
Nobles,  and  two  pounds  of  white  silver. 

"  That's  bonnily  done,"  said  Carryg,  who  was 
much  moved  by  the  smartness  of  the  whole  trans- 
action.    ''  Eh,  man,  ye  will  be  a  r3'per." 

"  Aye,"  replied  Barabbas,  "  I  Avill  be  something 
of  that  kind."  And  with  some  ostentation  he 
proceeded  to  lay  out  the  spoils  upon  the  grass,  as 
one  who  would  say  :  "  See,  I  am  an  honest  man  ; 
I  have  kept  back  nothing." 

But  Barabbas  did  keep  back  something  which, 
in  spite  of  the  nimbleness  of  his  hands,  I  saw 
him  take  from  the  dead  man's  doublet.  I  had 
been  watching  for  a  hold  upon  this  man,  and 
now  it  seemed  to  me  that  by-and-by  there  would 
be  some  conversation  between  Barabbas  and  me 
about  that  somethinr;: — which  was  nothins"  more 
nor  less  than  a  letter.  But  at  this  moment  his 
fellow,  who  was  named  Joshua  Henderson,  com- 
ing up,  inquired  at  once  whether  he  had  searched 
the  body. 

"  For,"  said  he,  '"  it  had  been  an  ill  day  for  me 
if  he  had  gotten  off  with  his  pouch  full.  AVhat, 
man  Rynian,"  he  added,  as  he  glanced  over  the 
spoil,  "  is  this  a'  ye  took  fra  off  him  ?" 

"Aye,  is  it;  and  ye  are  welcome  to  your  ain 
from  it,  and  half  of  the  rest,  though  it  is  the  spoil 
of  my  spear.     Na,  na  ;  ye  needna  trouble  to  rype 


86 


the  poor  body  again.  It's  an  empty  hand  that 
comes  after  Rusty  Rynian's." 

"  And  that's  true,'-  said  the  fellow,  with  a  rue- 
ful face  ;  "but  had  he  not  my  lord's  letter  that 
he  stole  fra  me?  It  was  for  the  Laird  of  Kil- 
syth." 

"A  letter?"  replied  Barabbas,  opening  his  eyes 
very  wide  and  whistling ;  "  that's  bad.  Look 
ye  here,  laddie — dinna  ye  gang  back  to  Captain 
James  wi'  yon  tale.  Ye  had  best  take  your  foot 
in  your  jiand,  and  be  off  to  the  Border,  where 
they're  aye  wanting  lang-luggit  lads.  And  I'll 
make  ye  a  present  of  the  haill  of  the  loon's 
gear,  for  ye'll  maybe  be  a  day  or  two  on  the 
road.  But  who  was  by  when  he  grippit  the 
letter?" 

"  ISTane  but  he  and  I  and  the  horses.  And 
whose  man  he  was  I  canna  say,  for  he  carried 
no  mark." 

Hereupon  I  bade  the  rogues  hold  their  peace 
and  lift  the  body ;  so  they  carried  it  a  few  paces 
from  the  road,  where  doubtless  it  lay  unburied 
for  a  month. 

And  so  thereafter  wo  came  to  Falkland,  but 
only  to  find  that  the  King  had  unexpectedly  rid- 
den to  St.  Andrews.  We  had  no  choice  but  to 
follow  him,  and  that  we  did  after  resting  our 


horses  for  a  couple  of  hours. 


87 


Now  while  we  waited,  the  heat  of  the  sun  be- 
ing very  great,  I  put  off  ray  back  and  breast- 
plate and  my  gauntlets,  and  was  minded  to  have 
spoken  Avith  Barabbas  but  that  I  could  not  find 
him.  On  putting  on  my  armor  again,  before 
remounting,  I  found  an  obstruction  in  my  right- 
hand  gauntlet,  by  reason  of  Avhich  it  was  not 
possible  to  insert  my  hand.  Supi)osing  that  this 
might  be  something  secret,  placed  there — who 
knew? — by  the  King's  direction,  I  made  an  ex- 
cuse for  re-entering  the  ale-house,  and,  passing 
into  the  garden  behind  it,  where  I  was  not  ob- 
served, I  drew  from  the  gauntlet  a  ball  of  crum- 
pled paper.  It  consisted  of  two  papers,  or,  rath- 
er, letters  ;  the  cover  which  held  them  was  gone, 
but  their  contents  were  to  be  but  too  easily  un- 
derstood. 

The  shorter  of  the  two  letters  ran  thus : 

"Maist  Wise  and  Gracious,  —  I  have  de- 
spached  unto  you  the  pretty  man  whom  j^our 
Hienes  consigned  to  my  cair  in  this  Castell.  I 
have  fund  no  use  for  him  heir,  but  to  make  him 
the  bearer  to  your  Ma''^  of  his  own  letter  which 
was  taken  from  his  messenger  twa  dayes  ago : 
That  so  he  may  be  dealt  with  as  seem  best  to 
your  Ma'"-'  maist  wise  and  princelie  jugement. 
Ilartlie  kissing  your  Mat'''  hand,  and  praying 


88 


the  Eternell  to  grant  your  Ilienes  lang  lyfe,  I 
rest  your  maist  bumble  and  obedient  Servitour, 
"  James,  Erle  of  Are  an. 
'■'From  the  Castell  op  EuTirv'EN." 

If  I  liked  not  the  look  of  this,  I  was  some- 
what more  deeply  moved  by  the  following : 

"  Right  Tkaist  Feiend,  —  I  greet  you  weilL 
You  will  receave  my  news  in  this  letter  by  a 
sure  hand,  and  doubtless  ere  that  you  will  have 
receaved  by  a  hand  still  mair  sure  that  of  which 
you  have  knawledge ;  but  that  you  may  not 
doubt  my  meaning,  I  will  plainly  say  that  I 
mean  the  Jewell  callit  the  X.     I  was  sent  hither 

to  ward  by ,  who  spoke  with  me  at  Iloly- 

roodhous,  saying  much  at  large  as  one  who  had 
a  great  conceat  of  himself.  Yet  being  Davy's 
son  he  is  but  a  carle,  and  his  learning  some  rot- 
ten ends  of  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  learnit 
backwards.  But,  if  I  mistake  not,  what  I  have 
sent  you  will,  before  many  days  be  out,  teach 
him  to  think  mair  cheaply  of  himselff.  From 
the  Castell  of  Ruthven.  Your  assured  good 
friend,  Andeew  Eviot. 

"  27m  15  oj  June  1585." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

These  letters  so  alarmed  me  that  I  was  reso- 
lute not  to  go  forward  until  I  had  pondered 
thereupon.  The  idea  occurred  to  me  that  they 
had  been  placed  in  my  gauntlet  by  some  mis- 
chievous person  who  desired  to  put  me  off  ray 
visit  to  the  King.  But  I  rejected  it  at  once,  for 
no  man  would  employ  so  clumsy  a  means  to  so 
simple  an  end.  I  did  not  doubt  that  the  shorter 
note  was  in  my  Lord  of  Arran's  hand,  and 
that  he  had  forged  the  other  in  my  name,  hop- 
ing to  disgrace  me  with  the  King.  The  con- 
es o  o 

temptuous  references  to  my  master's  learning, 
of  which  he  was  justly  proud,  and  to  Davy  as  his 
supposed  father,  were  enough  to  insure  me  im- 
mediate imprisonment  and  probable  execution. 
If  there  was  one  thing  the  King  could  not  tol- 
erate it  was  any  reference  to  the  extravagances 
of  his  mother. 

I  had  otherwise  good  reasons  for  suspecting 
my  Lord's  intentions.  My  presence  at  Ruthven 
had  apparently  annoyed  him  from  the  first,  al- 
though he  had  been  suave  and  polite  in  his  per- 


90 


sonal  relations  with  me.  On  bis  own  admission, 
I  had  escaped  the  boots  only  because  he  had  a 
better  way  of  dealing  with  me.  There  had  also 
been  an  attempt,  by  means  of  a  forged  message, 
to  bring  on  a  communication  between  his  ward 
and  myself.  In  this  he  had  probably  acted  upon 
a  mere  suspicion  that  the  X  was  in  her  hands; 
and  he  had  failed  in  his  object  only  because  it 
never  occurred  to  him  that  she  would  commu- 
nicate with  me  by  way  of  the  roof.  Forgery 
was  a  weapon  often  used  by  this  man  and  by 
others ;  and  a  very  formidable  weapon  it  was 
when  the  roads  were  dangerous  and  the  wing^s 
of  truth  slow.  These  letters  were  part  of  his 
work,  and  no  doubt  he  was  thinking  of  them 
when  he  said  "  leave  him  to  me." 

But  there  was  one  thing  which  puzzled  me — 
who  put  these  letters  in  my  gauntlet  ?  If  I  were 
right  he  must  be  a  friend — but  who  was  he  ? 
If  one  of  my  company  did  it,  that  one  must  be 
Barabbas,  or  Arran's  post,  who  had  returned 
with  us  from  Glenfarg,  for  I  knew  that  neither 
of  my  men  would  do  it.  If  Barabbas — that  led 
me  into  a  curious  puzzle.  I  had  seen  Barabbas 
take  a  letter  from  the  dead  man's  doublet,  which 
he  kept  for  his  own  private  purpose.  "Was  I  to 
think  that  he  had  opened  the  packet,  and,  after 
reading  the  contents,  passed  them  over  to  me? 


Ul 


That  was  to  suppose  some  very  improbable  things, 
as  that  he  had  betrayed  his  master,  and  was 
riskinir  his  own  neck  to  ol)ho-e  me.  J'esides, 
there  was  the  Avord  of  the  post  himself  timt  the 
packet  was  for  the  Laird  of  Kilsyth,  Avhile  these 
letters  were  indubitabh'  for  the  King's  eye. 

The  solution  of  this  puzzle  seemed  to  come 
from  the  letters  in  my  hand.  According  to 
Arran,  I  was  to  be  "the  bearer  of  my  own  letter, 
which  was  taken  from  my  messenger  twa  days 
ago  ;"*  and,  as  I  was  not  the  bearer  of  it,  the  in- 
ference seemed  irresistible  that  these  letters  had 
been  tampered  with,  or  that  they  had  been  mis- 
directed by  accident.  By  some  mischance  the 
post  had  been  carrying  the  letter  meant  for  the 
King  to  the  Laird  of  Kilsyth — but  what  was 
the  letter  which  I  carried  in  my  doublet  ?  Was 
it  for  the  Laird  of  Kilsyth,  and  could  I  safely  de- 
liver it  to  the  King? 

On  the  whole,  I  thought  that  this  letter  was 
more  likeh'  to  do  me  good  than  harm.  The 
other  letters  had  miscarried  ;  and,  although  I 
knew  my  Lord  of  Arran  would  begin  again,  I 
could  take  care  that  that  trick  was  not  played 
upon  me  a  second  time.  I  thought  I  was  safe 
enough  for  a  day  or  two,  and  1  was  resolved 
that,  unless  I  found  some  satisfaction  at  St.  An- 
drews, I  should  not  again  put  myself  inside  the 


92 


jaws  of  the  lion.  These  reflections  somewhat 
reassured  me;  but  they  delayed  me  some  little 
time  at  Falkland,  and  the  afternoon  Avas  far  ad- 
vanced when  we  rode  into  St.  Andrews,  and 
some  time  was  lost  in  securing  a  lodging  for  the 
night.  The  King,  we  found,  was  in  the  Auld 
Inns,  which  men  once  called  the  Prior's  House. 
It  stood  at  no  great  distance  from  the  tennis- 
court  and  the  ruins  of  that  great  structure  which 
Mr.  Knox  caused  the  Rascal  to  destroy. 

It  was  late  in  the  day  to  seek  admission  to 
the  King's  presence ;  but  the  letter  I  carried  for 
him  gave  me  an  excuse,  and  some  commotion  be- 
ginning about  his  lodging  at  the  moment  of  my 
arrival  helped  to  procure  my  admission  within 
the  wall  surrounding  it.  A  loud  calling  and 
shouting  arose  in  the  court-yard  of  the  Inns,  and 
thither  ran  everybody  within  the  enclosure. 
Drawing  near  with  the  rest,  I  found  that  the 
outcry  came  from  a  room  on  the  first  floor,  the 
window  of  which  was  open,  the  night  being 
very  warm.  Below  this  window  was  a  small 
crowd  of  about  thirty  persons — grooms,  lackeys, 
and  jackmen — who  listened  with  that  face  of 
amused  interest  which  men  assume  when  they 
stand  by  and  watch  the  follies  of  their  betters. 

There  were  two  voices,  both  of  great  power. 
One  deep  in  tone,  with  a  measured  utterance; 


93 


the  other  loud  and  rapid  of  speech — the  voices 
of  men  bellowing  with  rage,  and  striving  to 
roar  each  other  down.  From  some  of  the 
words  which  came  out  upon  the  night  air  I 
gathered  that  both  were  as  powerful  in  their 
language  as  their  lungs.  But  the  strange  thing 
— the  thing  which  brought  the  smile  to  the  faces 
of  the  little  knot  of  listeners — was  that  the  sub- 
ject of  dispute  was — the  Kirk. 

"Be  moderate,  Mr.  Andrew,"  said  the  deep 
voice,  "  and  have  some  regard  to  our  presence. 
If  noise  would  serve,  ye'd  bear  the  bell  away. 
Ye've  been  gaping  for  full  half  an  hour,  like  the 
President  of  a  Craws'  Court,  and  making  no  bet- 
ter sound  or  sense  for  a'  that  I  can  hear." 

"  I  had  need  to  speak  loud  to  ears  that  hear 
not,  and  hearing  do  not  understand.  I  speak 
boldly  in  your  presence,  because  I  am  the  mean 
messenger  of  one  who  is  a  Prince  above  you ; 
and  I  tell  you,  sir,  that  it  will  pass  your  power, 
or  that  of  any  that  come  after  you,  to  take  from 
God's  Kirk  the  po\ver  of  binding  and  lousing." 

"That's  aye  your  sang.  Ye  can  bind  or  louse 
a'  the  devils  in  hell  if  it  please  ye — the  mair  the 
merrier.  But  ye  w^ould  be  omnipotent  in  this 
State,  and  when  ye  are  asked  for  reason  ye  say 
ye  arc  the  messenger  of  God  and  not  to  be  ques- 
tioned.    Why,  deil  take  ye,  man,  if  the  Lord  has 


94 


to  answer  for  a'  that  ye  say  and  do,  He'll  be  sair 
put  to  it.  Your  syllogism  runs  in  this  wise  : 
Mr.  Andrew  is  the  messenger  of  God ;  the  au- 
thority of  God  is  infallible ;  therefore  the  au- 
thority of  Mr.  Andrew  is  infallible.  That's  ex- 
actly what  that  auld  sneaking  sinner  the  Pope 
says  of  himself,  and  with  mair  color  of  reason ; 
but  whereas  he  is  content  to  sit  upon  the  Seven 
Hills  at  a  convenient  distance,  ye  must  needs 
clap  your  hinder  parts  about  the  thrapple  of 
your  anointed  Prince." 

"  I  would,  sir,  ye  were  as  free  from  suspicion 
of  Papistry  as  I  am.  There  are  strange  tales 
abroad,  and  but  for  them  ye  had  not  seen  me 
here  this  night.  I  have  your  Majesty's  safe-con- 
duct ;  but  even  with  that  I  would  not  have  faced 
the  perils  of  the  sea  and  the  malice  of  your  Maj- 
esty's familiar  friends  to  come  hither  but  that 
I  had  a  testimon}^  to  uplift — " 

"  It's  marvellous  strange,  Mr.  Andrew,  that  ye 
are  aye  troubled  wi'  a  testimony  when  ye  visit 
us.  I  sorely  fear  it  is  a  Papish  testimony,  for 
ye  will  have  me  not  above  but  under  ye.  Im- 
jyerator  honus  intra,  non  suj>ra,  ecclesiam  est, 
saith  Ambrose ;  but  ye  Avould  read  it  inf^xi  ec- 
clesiam. There  is  not  one  of  the  points  ye  are 
sa  thrawin  about  for  which  ye  will  not  find  war- 
rant in  the  Papist  writers.     Why,  man.  Father 


95 


Ogilvy,  the  Seminary  Priest,  and  the  whole  crew 
of  honi  operarii,  sing  the  same  sang  as  yourself, 
note  by  note." 

•'  And  Avbat  if  they  do  claim  for  their  filthy 
religion  some  rights  which  are  due  to  the  Kirk 
of  God?  Does  that  make  it  wrang  for  the  Kirk 
to  claim  its  due?  It  pities  me,  sir,  that  a  Prince 
of  your  Majesty's  learning  should  be  sa  stangit 
with  the  poison  of  the  Dragon  as  to  use  such  ar- 
guments, which  are  indeed  more  fit  for  bairns." 

"  And  sa  indeed  thought  I  when  ye  quoted  a' 
the  Bishop's  points  out  of  the  Papists.  But  it 
seems  that  we  may  not  grease  our  mouths  in 
private  with  the  butter  that  the  Principal  of  the 
New  College  slabbers  in  public.  Ye  will  say, 
na  doubt,  that  ye  are  the  messenger  of  God,  and 
not  to  be  judgit  by  the  same  measure  as  the 
Bishop.  But  how  is  it,  man,  that  ye  are  bauld 
to  excommunicate  my  Bishop,  and  have  na  the 
sponke  to  excommunicate  me  who  made  him 
Bishop?" 

"  "We  dare  do  that,  too,  sir ;  and  I  am  here  to 
tell  ye  that  we  will  do  it  if  ye  do  not  repent  and 
put  from  ye  that  godless  Papist  and  bloody  Ila- 
man,  callit  the  Earl  of  Arran,  and  his  filthy  and 
adulterous  spouse,  meet  match  for  the  devil  him- 
self." 

"Wheesht,   man,   wheesht.      I    promised    ye 


96 


should  be  free  to  come  hither  and  see  me  in 
quiet  manner,  and  also  to  return ;  but  ye  ken 
that  in  Scotland  even  the  air  has  lugs  of  its  ain, 
and  I  canna  answer  for  ye  if  such  words  come 
to  bloody  Haman's  ears." 

"  I  care  not  to  whose  ears  they  come ;  for 
know  I  not,  James  Stewart,  that  you  have  been 
trafficking  with  the  Antichrist,  and  that  you 
carry  in  your  bosom  the  mark  and  order  of  the 
Beast,  w^hich  he  hath  given  you  to  be  a  sign  that 
you  are  his  ?" 

"  Ye  are  in  the  wrang,  Mr,  Andrew,  and  pre- 
sume ower  far  upon  our  patience.  We  have  no 
mark  of  the  Beast  upon  us.  Doubtless  ye  refer 
to  yon  idle  bruit  about  the  Jewel  callit  the  X. 
Weel,  we  have  no  such  jewel  or  emblem  of  Pop- 
ery about  us ;  by  the  wounds !  man,  if  such 
thing  exists,  we  ken  not  in  what  part  of  God's 
earth  it  lies.  And  this  we  say  in  verbo  Princi- 
pis.  So,  as  it  is  time  ye  were  aboard,  and  I  fear 
ye  have  mair  learning  than  sense,  w^e  will  ad- 
journ these  matters  until — " 

"  Until  a  mair  convenient  season.  Say  it,  sir, 
for  I  perceive  your  meaning  but  over  plain- 
ly." 

"JSTay,  until  God  purge  ye  of  impertinent 
pride.     The  man  is  distracted  of  his  senses." 

This  discussion  was  listened  to,  for  the  most 


97 


part,  in  silence ;  but  there  was  some  tittering, 
and  now  and  again  a  tall,  dark  man,  who  seemed 
to  be  greatly  gratified,  burst  into  bi-oad  laugh- 
ter. The  disputants,  however,  if  they  heard 
him,  were  too  much  occupied  with  each  other  to 
notice  his  presence. 

So  the  X  Jewel  was,  according  to  Mr.  Andrew 
Melvill,  a  Popish  emblem — a  pretty  piece  of  bag- 
gage to  carry  inside  one's  doublet.  I  would  fain 
have  had  speech  with  Mr.  Andrew,  for  the  man 
was  a  great  scholar  and  a  good  servant  of  his 
Master ;  and  I  had  a  testimony  to  lift  up  to  him 
on  my  own  account,  which,  however,  would  have 
moved  him  not  a  jot.  But  my  business  pressed, 
and  it  seemed  that  he  would  return  into  Eng- 
land by  ship ;  for  his  visit  was  private,  and  un- 
known even  to  his  own  people  in  St.  An- 
drews. 

Now  it  is  possible  that  I  might  not  have  seen 
his  Majesty  that  night  but  for  an  unforeseen  oc- 
currence. Being  unable  to  come  at  the  Colonel 
Stewart,  and  my  name  not  being  known  to  those 
on  attendance  on  the  King,  I  was  not  able  to 
penetrate  beyond  a  certain  hall,  which,  the  space 
being  limiteil,  was  used  by  the  gentlemen  of  the 
Chamber.  Here  some  efforts  were  made  to  in- 
duce me  to  part  with  the  Earl  of  Arran's  letter, 
but  that  I  positively  denied  to  do.     Presently 


98 


the  tall  man  who  had  laughed  so  heartily  at  the 
King's  wit  came  and  began  to  eye  me  with  that 
nameless  insolence  which  cannot  be  described. 
In  strutting  uj)  and  down  the  room  he  contrived, 
whether  by  accident  or  of  purpose,  to  rasp  the 
point  of  his  sword  against  me ;  but  going  closer 
by  me  than  he  had  meant,  he  received  such  a 
push  as  sent  him  with  his  hands  spread  out 
against  the  wall. 

Hereupon  arose  some  tumult  with  loud  speak- 
ing, at  which  a  door  leading  to  the  King's 
apartments  opened,  and  a  marvellously  elegant 
young  gentleman,  whose  face  was  unknown  to 
me,  came  out. 

"  Wliat's  this  ?"  said  he.  "  Gautrie,  you  ought 
to  know  that  his  Majesty  will  not  suffer  these 
disturbances  near  him.  Who  is  this  gentleman  V 
and  he  looked  earnestly  at  me,  as  if  he  knew  me 
not. 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  in  reply,  "  I  am  Captain  Eviot, 
and  I  am  here  to  place  in  the  King's  hands  a  let- 
ter from  the  Earl  of  Arran  ;  but  this  gentleman 
has  borne  himself  with  such  insolence  towards 
me  that  I  turned  his  face  to  the  wall." 

Upon  that  he  repeated  the  name  '•  Eviot " 
twice,  as  if  lie  were  striving  to  recollect  it. 
Then  having  gone  again  into  the  King's  cham- 
ber, he  returned  in  a  few  moments,  and  brought 


99 


me  into  the  King's  presence,  where  I  delivered 
my  letter  and  was  permitted  to  kiss  the  King's 
hand. 

His  Highness,  a})parelled  in  a  night-gown  of 
tawny  velvet  embroidered  with  gold,  was  seat- 
ed on  an  arm-chair,  while  one  of  his  gentlemen 
was  engaged  in  pulling  off  his  boots.  But  no 
sooner  had  he  opened  the  letter  than  he  appeared 
to  be  greatly  surprised,  and  glanced  at  me  with 
a  blank,  puzzled  look.  I  confess  I  had  reason  to 
be  uneasy,  but  I  tried  to  look  as  unconscious  as 
possible. 

"God's  soul  and  body!  man,"  burst  out  the 
King,  "  what  manner  of  prank  is  this  ye  have 
played  on  us  ?  See,  read  your  letter  to  us,  if  ye 
can." 

I  took  the  letter  in  my  hand,  and  was  astound- 
ed to  see  that  the  page  was  blank, 

"  I  knew  naught,  sir,"  said  I,  "  of  my  Lord  of 
Arran's  purpose ;  but,  if  it  please  your  Majesty, 
the  letter  may  be  written  in  white  ink,  and  if  so 
the  heat  of  the  candle  will  suffice  to  show  the 
writing." 

"  "VVeel,^(/^  exjwrhnentum  /  but  l.aste  ye,  Cap- 
tain Andrew,  for  our  throat  is  dry  with  bellow- 
ing at  yon  bull  of  JJasliaii." 

I  drew  the  paper  near  to  the  candle,  under  the 
rays  of  which  the  writing  gradually  became  dis- 


100 


tinct,  and  I  was  able  to  read  aloud  to  the  King 
the  following  letter : 

"Eight  Traist  Friend,  —  I  greet  you  weill. 
Having  your  welfare  at  heart,  I  have  thought  it 
meet  to  acquaint  you  with  that  which  may  con- 
cern you  and  all  those  who  ride  by  the  King's 
stirrup.  It  is  known  to  some  here  that  there  is 
a  practice  against  the  lives  and  liberty  of  the 
King  and  his  Chancellor.  The  ship  is  at  the 
Wemyss  which  shall  carry  his  Highness  into 
England ;  and  the  purpose  is  to  seize  his  person 
some  ten  days  hence  within  the  Park  of  Falk- 
land. The  Chancellor  has  had  George  Drum- 
mond  of  Blair  in  the  boots  for  this  enterprise, 
and  will  show  the  same  courtesy  to  one  Eviot, 
warded  these  many  weeks  in  Kuthven  Castle, 
who — if  all  tales  be  true — could  show  the  whole 
^ot  aux  roses.  The  King  is  suspected  of  some 
hollow  dealing  in  sending  this  knaive  to  an  open 
castle.  But  he  careth  not  for  anything  save  for 
dogges  and  deir.  At  the  Court  men  cannot  close 
their  ej^es  to  sleep,  or  open  their  mouths  to  eat, 
for  continual  hunting ;  and  it  is  weill  seen  that 
for  a  pair  of  good  deir-dogges  the  Prince  would 
give  a  score  of  his  Ministers,  and  throw  the  Bish- 
op into  the  bargain. — Yours  in  the  auld  manner, 

"7v,\,ii-    r /„.,.  ir«t-.  "  "Tjiom AS  Miller. 

lliiH  \o  <ij  June  looo. 


101 


"  What  deil's  gett  is  yon  ?''  cried  the  King. 
"  But  his  last  word  is  no  so  much  amiss,  for  I  ken 
many  an  honest  hound  that  is  worthy  of  mair 
commendation  than  Craig,  or  Mr.  David  Bhick, 
and  all  his  sort.  Dogs  and  deer !  dogs  and  deer ! 
Deil  stick  him! — but  think  3'e,  Patrick,  that  the 
loon  would  ken  anything  about  such  matters?" 

The  Master  of  Gray,  the  elegant  young  man 
who  had  been  pulling  off  his  master's  boots  and 
replacing  them  with  pantaffles  furnished  with 
thick  soles,  looked  carefully  at  the  letter,  and 
said,  quietly  : 

"  I  think,  sir,  it  is  a  jest,  though  I  understand 
it  not.  The  letter  is  for  the  Laird  of  Kils\'th, 
but  the  cover  is  directed  to  your  Majesty,  and 
the  writing  is  the  writing  of  my  Lord  of  Arran." 

"  It  is  even  so ;  awa'  wi'  it  for  an  unseasoned 
jest.  But  we  would  ask  this  braw  messenger  if 
he  hath  any  knowledge  of  Beza.  Have  you  read 
the  Confessio,  man,  or  the  Tractationes  Theologi- 
es f  Is  it  so?  Then,  as  the  night  is  Avarm,  Ave 
will  go  below  to  the  garden  and  speak  with  3'ou 
thereon." 

So  we  went  down  bv  some  stone  steps  into 
the  garden,  which  was  surrounded  by  a  low  wall, 
and  his  Highness  carried  me  with  him  to  the 
centre  of  the  grass,  where  he  seated  himself 
upon  a  stone  bench. 


CHAPTER    IX 

"Akd  do  ye  ken,  raan,  Andrew,  your  errand 
in  this  country  ?'' 

"  Indeed  I  do  not,  sir," 

"  But  ye  will  have  some  guess  of  it  ?" 

"  Well,  sir,  I  think  it  hath  somewhat  to  do 
with  one  of  the  Crown-jewels  called  the  X,  which 
has  been  stolen  out  of  the  jewel-chest  in  the 
Castle  of  Edinburgh ;  but  I  know  not  the  truth 
of  the  matter." 

"  And  no  sa  bad  a  guess,  for  though  it  be  not 
exact  to  the  mark,  I  marvel  that  ye  came  sa  near. 
I'm  thinkino:  the  Colonel  was  not  far  wran^:.  It 
happened  to  us  some  time  syne  to  say  in  hearing 
of  sundry  of  our  Council  that  we  kenned  not  an 
honest  man  in  our  kingdom  of  Scotland  who  was 
not  a  fool ;  and  the  loons,  scarce  knowing  upon 
which  leg  to  dance,  held  their  peace.  But  the 
Colonel,  though  he  made  no  claim  for  himself, 
rounded  in  my  ear  that  he  kenned  ane.  '  Is  that 
so  T  said  I,  for  I  thought  that  he  had  some  turn 
to  serve  in  saying  it.  '  Aye,'  answered  he, '  nane 
other  than  Captain  Andrew  Eviot,  now  in  the 


103 


service  of  the  States.'  Now  the  Colonel  is  but 
a  simple  body,  and  he  will  do  by  accident  what 
none  of  the  others  would  do  willingly — whiles 
he  speaks  the  truth.  Sa,  though  we  told  him 
that  his  honest  man  was  removit  to  a  marvellous 
distance  from  our  Court,  we  took  heed  of  what 
ho  said,  for  we  have  sair  need  of  some  honesty 
about  us." 

"  It  was  the  hope  of  serving  your  Majesty  that 
brought  me  to  Scotland." 

"  I  ken  that,  sir.  When  ye  were  brought  to 
me  in  our  Palace  of  Ilolyrood  I  made  ye  no  sign. 
But  I  knew  ye  to  be  a  stanch  man,  for  ye  said 
never  a  word,  nor  so  much  as  showed  a  change 
of  countenance,  though  you  got  but  uncivil 
entertainment." 

"  It  was  evil  likely  enough  then,  and  I  am  no 
nearer  to  understanding  it  now." 

"Bide  a  minute.  Captain  Andrew,  and  hear 
what  I  have  to  tell  ye.  Some  time  syne  a  cer- 
tain chain  with  a  jewel  attached  came  into  our 
keeping  and  possession,  as  it  were  by  way  of 
pledge.  Though  post  5  et  100  proavos  inmcti 
manemus,  we  are  strangely  pressed  at  times  for 
money,  and  have  not  the  revenues  to  maintain 
waged  men  of  war  as  becomcth  a  Prince.  It 
chanced  that  our  cousin  of  Spain  was  in  the 
mind  to  thrust  20,000  red-hot  Papist  soldiers 


104 


into  this  our  realm  ;  and  we  were  constrained  to 
certain  temporary  shifts  to  preserve  our  indepen- 
dence. So,  partly  of  good-nature,  partly  to  serve 
some  necessity  of  the  moment,  we  took  upon  us 
the  pledge  of  the  Jewel  callit  the  X,  which  was 
unhonestly  subtracted  from  our  cabinet  at  Holy- 
roodhouse,  and  is  now  at  large." 

"And  what  like  is  this  jewel,  sir?"  said  I,  be- 
ing: careful  not  to  touch  on  the  flaw  in  the 
King's  excuse  for  himself. 

"  It  is  a  jewel  of  white  sapphires  and  gold 
roses  ;  but  it  is  not,  as  ye  suppose,  a  Crown-jewel, 
nor  was  it  ever  in  the  jewel-chest  in  Edinburgh 
Castle.  Ye  would  ken  it  best  by  the  letters  lll^ 
which  are  graven  on  the  back.  And  it  is  in 
these  letters  that  the  trouble  lies,  for  little  did  I 
knaw,  when  I  took  the  gear  in  pledge,  that  it 
was  a  rank  monument  of  Papistry.  Ye  may 
judge  for  yourself  what  dangers  to  our  service 
Inay  ensue,  not  only  in  Scotland,  but  Avith  our 
cousin  the  Queen  of  England,  if  we  get  not  this 
pledge  back  into  our  hands.  Already  that  auld 
blethering  worry-cow,  Mr.  Andrew  Melvill,  has 
smelled  out  something  of  this,  and  if  he  once  had 
the  truth  of  it  I  should  scarce  have  a  day's  rest 
until  the  daft  body  was  hangit.  Now,  sir,  I  sent 
ye  to  Ituthven  Castle  because  I  knew  ye  were 
safer  there  than  anywhere  else  in  Scotland,  and  ye 


1U5 


were  near  those  who  might  show  ye  something 
of  this  matter.  For  to  be  round,  I  fear  that  the 
jewel  hath  been  taken  by  tlie  Lady  of  our  Chan- 
cellor, who  is  a  thought  ower  nimble  with  her 
lingers  when  they  get  among  other  folks'  gear." 

"And  do  I  understand,  sir,"  said  I,  feeling 
somewhat  mortified,  "  that  the  recovery  of  this 
jewel  is  all  the  service  you  require  of  me?"  So 
vexed  indeed  was  I  that  I  was  minded  not  to 
give  him  the  jewel,  though  it  hung  at  that  mo- 
ment round  my  neck. 

"  Is  that  all,  say  ye?"  cried  he,  growing  warm 
"with  choler;  "what  mair  would  ye  have?  Will 
anything  please  ye?  Here  is  a  matter  of  State 
which  affects  the  stability  of  our  Crown,  and 
upon  which  many  great  enterprises  hang;  for, 
if  James  Stewart  turn  Papist,  what  then,  man? 
We  are  trusting  you  with  our  mind  upon  this 
subject ;  and,  though  other  folk  may  suspect, 
you  alone  have  the  knowledge  of  it.  Then  say 
ye,  Is  that  all  f 

"  Surely,  sir,  this  is  a  service  that  many  here 
would  have  done  better  than  I  who  am  a  stranger 
to  3'our  Court." 

"  Ye  are  in  the  wrang  there.  Of  all  these 
brave  gentlemen  ye  see  about  us  there  is  none 
who — but  for  fear  or  interest — would  not  sell  us 
like  a  bullock  to  the  highest  bidder.     And  if  I 


106 


had  required  this  service  of  one  of  them,  he  would 
have  had  large  offers  of  siller  from  the  Queen 
of  England,  or  the  Due  de  Guise,  or  the  Bishop 
of  Ross,  or  our  cousin  of  Spain— for  a'  these  bod- 
ies are  as  busy  as  bugs  with  our  maist  private 
matters.  The  young  gentleman  yonder,  who  is 
pleased  to  mind  our  writings  for  us — he  gives 
copies  of  everything  to  Wotton,  the  English  Am- 
bassador ;  our  very  cook  is  not  safe  from  them. 
But  we  are  weel  content  that  it  should  be  so ; 
for  so  they  think  that  they  have  knawledge  of 
all  our  secret  dealings,  while  Ave  have  the  assur- 
ance that  they  knaw  na  mair  than  we  choose. 
For,  man,  the  King  is  the  only  person  in  Scot- 
land whose  secrets  are  known  to  nobody.  And 
therefore  we  are  concerned  to  hear  how  ye  came 
at  sa  much  knawledge  as  ye  have." 

To  this  long  address  I  replied  that  I  was  sorry 
that  the  service  demanded  of  me  was  so  simple, 
but  that  I  could  do  no  less  than  render  it  at  once. 
So,  bending  forward,  I  caught  the  chain  with 
both  my  hands  and  drew  it  forth  over  my  head. 

Great  God  !  what  was  this  ? 

Though  not  conscious  of  such  things  at  the 
time,  I  can  see  now  the  sparkle  of  pleasure  in 
the  young  King's  eye  when  he  understood  my 
gesture.  I  can  see  the  looks  of  disappointment, 
doubt,  and  suspicion  which  succeeded  ;  and  I  can 


107 


hear  his  loud  laughter,  whicli  brought  me  to  the 
knowledge  that  I  must  present  a  strange  spec- 
tacle Avitli  my  open  mouth  and  staring  eyes.  The 
X  Jewel  was  gone,  and  in  my  hand  lay  a  chain 
of  calcedoniee. 

From  the  day  my  mother  brouglit  me  into  this 
world  of  sin  and  sorrow  I  can  remember  no  mo- 
ment of  like  humiliation  and  dismay.  The  earth, 
had  she  been  kind,  would  have  gaped  for  me, 
but  she  did  not. 

After  a  space,  when  I  had  caught  my  breath 
again,  1  said : 

"  Think  you,  sir,  that  the  devil  hath  power  to 
do  the  like  of  this?^' 

"  I  thought  not,"  replied  the  King,  "  that 
God's  Ape  would  have  uttered  himself  so  bauld- 
ly  within  the  precincts  of  our  Court.  That  he 
hath  done  such  things,  himself  in  the  form  of  a 
goat-buck,  or  by  other  spirits  in  the  likeness  of 
a  little  beast  or  fowl,  is  ower  weel  kenned  to 
be  gainsaid.  But  I  must  know  something  of 
your  stor}',  or  I  can  rightly  resolve  your  ques- 
tion." 

So  I  told  him  my  story  from  the  beginning, 
and  he  listened  with  attention,  as  well  he  might, 
for  it  concerned  him  as  much  as  myself.  AVhen 
he  interrupted  me  from  time  to  time  his  com- 
ment was  of  rare  shrewdness  for  one  of  his  years. 


108 


The  account  of  M'Kuskan  Grossok  and  the  witch 
of  Glendevon  greatly  excited  him. 

"  Glendevon,  say  ye  ?  Saul  of  God !  I  like 
not  that.  It  is  an  evil  place,  for  all  it  looks  sa 
bonny  in  broad  daylight,  and  smiles  over  the 
stream  as  though  it  feared  it  not.  But  by  night 
it  is  the  haunt  of  rank  hell-dogs,  and  Sathan  him- 
self hath  ofttimes  preached  his  damnable  stuff 
from  the  very  pulpit  which  is  filled  by  the  min- 
ister of  God.  We  had  a  mind  to  adventure  our- 
selves in  it,  to  wrestle  with  him  and  drive  him 
forth,  but  the  pestilent  crew  of  Puritans  would 
have  cried  out  that  we  had  dealt  with  the  Evil 
One,  sa  that  for  the  time  the  place  is  sair  ridden 
by  witches.  I  ken  not  what  concern  this  chiel 
—  Grossok  ca'  ye  him? — hath  in  the  place; 
but  women  are  aye  ready  to  deal  Avith  witch- 
es for  every  little  trifling  turn  they  have  ado 
with." 

When  I  came  to  the  dream  or  vision  which 
troubled  me  the  last  night  I  was  at  Ruthven 
Castle  he  said  that  doubtless  I  had  been  ridden 
by  the  Mare  or  Incubus,  and  that  my  senses  were 
dimmed  by  ''  a  thick  fleume." 

"And  yet,  man,"  he  added,  after  appearing  to 
consider  my  figure  for  some  seconds,  "  it  fears 
me  that  ye  had  mair  commerce  with  the  Lady 
Potiphar  than  the  Lady  Jezabel.     Have  ye  told 


109 


me  all,  or  are  3'e  keeping  back  ony  part  of  the 
tale,  to  spare  the  poor  lady's  fame  ?" 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  have  kept  nothing  back." 

"  And  yet  the  stor}'^  is  marvellous  strange  as 
ye  tell  it,  for  ye  had  a  gold  chain  with  a  jewel 
when  the  lady  visited  ye,  and  Avhen  she  was 
gone  the  chain  and  jewel  were  gone  also.  If 
she  had  a  mind  to  ye,  not  all  the  bolts  and  bars 
ill  Scotland  would  keep  yon  besom  out.  Now, 
I  charge  3"e,  tell  me,  Captain  Andrew,  not  as  sin- 
ner to  confessor,  but  as  a  subject  to  his  prince — 
was  there  no  kindness  between  3'e,  no  sort  of 
dalliance,  during  which  she  might  have  shifted 
the  gear  from  off  3^our  neck?  No?  Weel,  ye 
maun  back  to  Ruthven  Castle  as  fast  as  ye  may. 
Haste,  man ;  away !  away  !" 

But  I  saw  not  my  way  to  Ruthven  so  plain. 
For  whether  the  jewel  were  taken  from  me  by 
human  or  devilish  means  I  was  equally  at  a  loss 
to  know  who  had  it.  And  if  I  knew  the  thief, 
wdio  could  doubt  that  he  had  removed  his  prize 
to  a  place  of  safety  ?  Then,  to  put  myself  again 
in  the  power  of  the  Earl  of  iVrran  would  be  sui- 
cide— for  now  that  other  means  had  failed,  he 
would  not  spare  me.  Methought  his  Ilighness 
was  a  trifle  indifferent. 

"  Sureh',"  said  I,  *'  I  might  serve  your  Majesty 
bettor  outside  the  Castle  of  lluthveu  than  inside, 


no 


where  I  should  have  half  a  dozen  dirks  in  my 
puddings  before  I  could  pull  off  my  boots." 

"  If  it's  danger  you  fear,  Scotland  is  no  place 
for  you,  for  no  part  of  it  is  safe  for  you  or  any- 
body else.  The  maist  dangerous  spot  of  all  is 
this  garden,  and  the  man  maist  in  danger  is  j^our 
anointed  King.  Why,  man,  there's  a  plot  once 
a  week,  either  to  rive  the  liver  forth  of  us,  or  to 
ravish  our  person  from  the  realm.  Ye  are  in 
greater  danger  here  than  anywhere  else.  But 
mark  this — I  have  made  it  plain  ere  this  to  my 
Lord  of  Arran  that  I  will  not  have  his  ward  mar- 
ried until  the  jewels  abstracted  from  our  keeping 
are  all  returned  to  us.  I  could  not  deal  mair 
openly  with  him,  for  I  think  not  to  name  this  X 
Jewel  to  him.  Though  men  think  otherwise, 
there  are  many  things  of  State  of  which  my 
Chancellor  knoweth  nothing;  and,  by  the  body 
of  God !  Captain  Andrew,  if  this  X  Jewel  be  not 
returned  to  us,  our  Chancellor — braw  lad  as  he 
is — may  hang  for  a'  we  care.  Ye  see,  we  have 
given  him  a  strong  bribe  to  return  it,  for  he  is 
greatly  set  upon  the  marriage  of  this  ward.  And 
as  for  the  lassie  Uchiltrie,  our  wish  is  that  ye 
should  sift  her  thoroughly  on  this  matter,  for 
our  mind  misgives  us  tliat  this  is  no  devil's  Avork, 
but  some  mischief  of  women."" 

"  That  is  like  enough,  sir ;  but  there  are  those 


Ill 

Tvho  have  a  shrewd  guess  of  my  errand,  and  the 
gentle  hand  will  not  find  this  jewel.  I  could  not 
go  back  as  I  came  without  deserving  and  finding 
the  reward  of  a  spy.  But  if  the  means  could 
be  spared  to  give  me  some  manner  of  war- 
rant— " 

"  Sairts !  would  ye  requisition  us  as  ye  would 
the  burgomaster  of  any  mean  Flemish  town? 
Ye  call  for  our  signature  as  ye  would  for  a  cup 
of  ale — the  King's  blank ;  the  like  was  never 
heard.  And  yet  the  matter  presses.  Maybe 
Patrick  hath  not  paid  ower  the  taxes  of  his 
sheriffdom  of  Forfar,  as  we  required  him,  to  the 
chiel  Hunter  our  glasingwright.  But  3^e  are  bet- 
ter without  the  men ;  they  would  but  lead  ye 
into  temptation.  Come  into  the  lodging,  and  we 
will  find  some  better  way  for  ye.  The  walls  are 
low,  and  wha  kens  how  mony  night-walkers 
might  spring  in  upon  us  at  any  moment." 

So  we  went  in,  and  the  King  wrote  out  and 
luinded  to  me  a  commission  giving  me  absolute 
control  over  the  Castle  of  Kuthven  and  every- 
body within  it.  I  thought  that  would  serve  at  a 
pinch,  though  I  knew  that  my  Lord  of  Arran 
would  not  regard  it.  His  Highness  gave  me, 
moreover,  a  letter,  couched  in  kindly  terms,  to 
the  Laird  of  Duncrub,  requiring  him  to  furnish 
me  with  four  fully  equipped  men  for  sixteen 


112 


days,  in  return  for  which  service  he  offered  his 
gracious  thanks. 

Thereupon  I  asked  his  Highness  whether  I 
was  at  hberty  to  seek  his  presence  when  he  re- 
turned to  Edinburgh.  "  If  your  horse  will  let 
you,"  said  the  King ;  "  but  dinna  be  flashing  the 
bit  paper  in  every  carle's  face.  And  we  would 
have  you  carry  this  with  you,  so  that,  if  at  any 
time  you  get  knowledge  of  the  gear  we  were 
speaking  of,  you  may  return  it  to  us.  By  which 
token  we  shall  know  that  we  may  be  easy  upon 
the  matter."  Thereupon  he  gave  me  a  topaz 
and  dismissed  me,  in  a  homely  manner  patting 
me  upon  the  cheek,  and  saying  that  I  was  a 
braw  man. 

As  I  might  have  expected,  if  I  had  had  time 
to  think  of  it,  my  dark  friend  was  waiting  for 
me  at  the  door  of  the  King's  lodging,  very  anx- 
ious for  an  immediate  conclusion  with  me.  The 
night,  however,  was  black  as  pitch,  and,  as  I 
told  him,  the  light,  though  good  for  murder,  was 
very  bad  for  fighting.  The  remark  was  not  well 
received  ;  but  after  some  parley  a  rendezvous 
was  arranged  for  six  hours  on  the  followino; 
morning  by  tlie  windmill.  This  was  no  sooner 
agreed  upon  than  from  an  upper  window  of  the 
lodging  came  a  voice,  well-known  to  all,  Avhich 
said  : 


113 


"  Saul !  but  we  will  be  there  with  the  best  of 
ye,  and  if  we  spy  the  Laird  of  Gautrie,  we  will 
hang  him  to  the  sail  of  the  windmill  before  he 
can  say  his  prayers." 

So  I  was  rid  of  a  fool  for  that  night ;  but  I 
had  reason  to  be  sorry  afterwards  that  I  did  not 
meet  him  by  the  windmill,  for  the  townspeople 
of  St.  Andrews,  who  arc  a  iwstering  crew,  would 
have  been  present  in  great  numbers,  and  a  public 
lesson  might  have  encouraged  other  men  to  be 
less  pressing  in  their  attentions  to  me. 

Thinking  that  now  I  might  go  without  further 
hinderance  to  my  lodging,  I  started  for  the  gate 
of  the  enclosure,  my  men  carrying  torches  to 
show  the  way ;  but  before  I  had  gone  many 
steps  I  was  drawn  aside  by  one  whose  figure  I 
did  not  recognize  in  the  gloom,  but  whose  voice 
I  well  knew. 

"  Are  you  mad,  friend  Andrew,"  said  this  per- 
son, "  that  you  would  pass  at  this  time  of  night, 
with  lighted  torches  and  only  two  attendants, 
through  the  streets  of  St.  Andrews?  Has  the 
sight  of  your  native  Prince  addled  3'our  wits?" 

"  Why,"  protested  I,  "  it  is  but  a  few  hundreds 
of  yards  to  go.  Besides,  I  have  only  been  four 
hours  in  the  town,  and  nobody  outside  this  en- 
closure either  knows  or  cares  about  me  or  my 
business." 


114 


"  But  they  care  about  it  inside  the  enclosure, 
and  that  is  the  serious  matter  for  you.  It  is  high 
time  you  knew  Captain  James  a  httle  better.  He 
may  not  know  your  business,  but  he  suspects  it ; 
and  he  is  apt  to  treat  a  man  he  suspects  as  one 
he  knows  to  be  an  enemy.  As  you  well  know, 
he  has  already  made  two  indirect  attempts  upon 
your  life.  Did  you  not  suppose  that  there  were 
those  here  who  knew  you  were  coming,  and 
waited  to  see  the  result  of  your  interview  with 
his  Highness?  Owing  to  some  blunder — which 
I  do  not  understand — about  the  letters  you  car- 
ried, you  have,  against  their  expectation,  come 
out  of  the  royal  presence  with  a  whole  skin  and 
a  topaz  in  your  pouch.  Do  you  suppose,  then, 
that  you  would  ever  come  alive  at  your  lodging 
with  your  torches  and  your  two  men?" 

"  But  I  can't  mend  matters,"  I  interposed  ;  "I 
cannot  do  otherwise." 

"  You  can  do  otherwise  ;  but  I  wish  you  to  un- 
derstand your  danger.  I  dare  say  you  think  that 
Graham  tickled  your  shins  with  his  rapier  out  of 
mere  devilry.  I^othing  of  the  sort.  He's  a  Pa- 
pist, and  very  great  with  the  King  for  the  mo- 
ment ;  otherwise  he  would  not  have  ventured  to 
quarrel  with  you  in  the  precincts  of  the  Court. 
He  is  also  very  great  with  Captain  James,  who 
has  broken  for  the  present  at  least  with  the  Min- 


115 


isters  and  the  English  Protestants.  AVhat  is  to 
be  the  upshot  of  these  intrigues  no  man  can  tell ; 
but  sure  am  I  that  our  master  hath  little  liking 
for  the  Man  of  Sin,  and  will  have  no  serious  deal- 
ings with  him  in  the  end  if  he  can  make  his  mar- 
ket elsewhere.  But  in  the  meantime  he  is  con- 
strained to  keep  him  in  pla3^" 

"  Master,  I  like  not  that.  Do  you  make  no  re- 
monstrance ?" 

"  I  go  with  the  rest,  in  appearance.  Man,  I  am 
playing  for  my  life,  as  you  are  for  yours,  though 
you  don't  seem  to  know  it.  To  be  frank  Avith 
you,  I  have  done  with  the  Antichrist  and  his  cup- 
board of  plate,  and  he  shall  go  to  perdition  if  I 
can  send  him  there.  But  to  return  to  yourself, 
Captain  James  means  to  be  rid  of  you  if  he  can, 
and  he  is  a  man  who  has  his  eyes,  ears,  and  hands 
everywhere.  He  will  strike  whenever  and  wher- 
ever he  can,  so  keep  your  wits  a  little  more 
alive.  In  the  meantime  bid  your  men  put  out 
their  torches  and  return  by  themselves  to  your 
lodging  by  the  Southgate.  They  will  wait  for 
you  at  the  foot  of  your  stair,  and  I  will  give 
you  directions  for  your  own  return  by  another 
route." 

My  men  were  therefore  despatched  by  them- 
selves, while  the  Master  conducted  me  to  a  pos- 
tern in  the  northern  wall  of  the  enclosure.    One 


116 


of  his  men  was  waiting  for  us  there,  under  whose 
guidance  I  came  out  by  the  Shore  Port,  and 
turned  up  by  the  Fishergate,  past  the  Castle,  and 
so  into  North o-ate. 


CHAPTER  X 

It  marvels  rae  in  what  disdain  a  woman  will 
hold  the  wit  of  man.  She  will  thankfully  use 
it  when  she  is  in  straits,  but  at  other  times  she 
holds  the  cheapest  subterfuge  good  enough  to 
puzzle  his  dull  brain.  And  she  will  play  the 
sorriest  of  tricks  at  his  very  nose,  in  the  full  con- 
fidence that  he  does  not  see  them. 

I  know  not  why  this  should  be  but  that  women 
are  intoxicated  by  the  power  God  hath  given  them 
over  us.  For  some  purpose  they  are  permitted  to 
work  much  evil  by  nature  of  their  beauty  and 
gentle  manners.  And  such  is  not  the  philosophy 
of  weak  men  only,  for  mulier  confusio  honiinis 
was  a  saying  well  understood  of  Mr.  Knox ;  and 
Mr.  James  Melvill,  Avho,  though  sour  enough  in 
his  Church  politics,  had  some  elements  of  hu- 
manity in  his  private  life,  hath  told  me  that  he 
trembled  to  think  how  far  he  was  moved  by 
fascinating  women. 

And  I  am  fain  to  believe  that  women  put 
down  to  their  wit  a  good  deal  that  is  due  to 
their   beautv.     Here   had  I  been   robbed  of  a 


118 


gold  chain  by  one  of  two  women,  but  so  great 
a  contempt  had  the  thief  for  ray  understand- 
ing that  she  left  in  my  hands  a  clew  to  her 
identity  in  the  shape  of  a  collar  of  calcedonies. 
She  had  some  reason  for  this ;  but  I  think  not 
she  knew  she  was  preparing  means  for  her  detec- 
tion, for  women  look  not  forward.  There  is 
much  talk  of  their  skill  in  practices  and  intrigue, 
but  I  respect  not  their  plots.  They  are  wondrous 
cunning  and  adroit,  and  when  advised  by  men 
will  do  wonders.  But  their  plots  are  full  of 
windows,  through  which  any  one  may  look  who 
will ;  and  they  are  apt  to  believe  that,  if  they 
shut  their  own  eyes,  no  one  else  can  see  what 
they  are  doiug. 

But  in  this  matter  there  was  much  I  could  not 
understand.  If  the  Countess  had  the  chain,  why 
these  attempts  upon  m\"  life  ?  Why  did  she  not 
restore  the  jewel  to  the  King  and  claim  the  mar- 
riage of  her  husband's  ward  ?  Was  the  jewel 
worth  more  than  the  right  to  dispose  of  a  rich 
heiress  in  marriage  ?  As  for  Jean  Uchiltrie,  I 
could  conceive  no  motive  strong  enough  to  ac- 
count for  her  being  the  thief. 

I  had,  however,  something  more  pressing  to 
think  of  as  I  mounted  my  horse  the  morning 
following  my  interview  with  the  King.  I  had 
to  get  back  to  Kuthven  Castle,  and  the  events  of 


119 


the  previous  day  told  me  that  this  might  be  a 
difficult  matter.  Although  at  first  strongly 
moved  not  to  return,  I  had  changed  my  mind 
upon  that  head.  I  was  piqued  by  the  loss  of  the 
jewel,  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  had  come 
to  think  that  my  life  would  be  nowhere  so  safe 
as  in  Kuthven  Castle.  My  reason  for  thinking 
so  I  shall  not  here  set  down,  because  it  is  not 
alwa3's  well  to  lay  bare  the  whole  mind  of  a  man, 
and  provoke  idle  charges  of  vanity  and  conceit. 

Fully  alive  was  I  now  to  the  danger  of  this 
journe}'',  and  I  had  carefull}'  considered  the  ques- 
tion of  routes.  The  shortest  road  was  through 
Cupar  and  Lindores,  or  I  might  follow  the  shore 
of  the  Tay,  if  I  pleased,  as  far  as  Abernethy. 
Again,  by  making  a  detour  to  the  south,  I  might 
ride  as  far  as  Strathmiglo,  and,  turning  then  at 
right  angles,  reach  Perth  by  the  Pass  of  Dron. 
But  I  rejected  each  of  these  routes,  and  deter- 
mined to  go  by  Glendevon  and  Gleneagles, 
making  a  circuit  so  wide  that  nobody  would 
suspect  me  of  entertaining  it.  So  it  was  by 
the  Southgate  Port  that  we  rode  out  St,  An- 
drews at  six  hours  in  the  morning,  intending  to 
avoid  Cupar  and  reach  the  How  of  Fife  by  the 
by-roads.  But  we  had  gone  but  a  short  distance 
when  a  cry  arose  behind  us,  and,  looking  back, 
we  saw  one  running  towards  us. 


120 


This  man  bad  been  charged  to  carry  a  letter 
to  me  before  I  started,  but  having  missed  me  at 
my  lodging  had  followed  me  to  the  gate.  The 
letter,  which  came  from  a  sure  hand,  contained 
the  following  passage : 

"  There  are  twelve  men  in  the  w^ood  below  the 
Hill  of  Moonzie,  there  are  six  at  Ballinbreich  on 
the  low  road  by  the  Tay,  and  six  in  the  Pass  of 
Dron.  Judge  for  yourself  whether  your  best 
way  is  not  by  Glendevon.  The  enclosure  came 
for  you  by  my  Lady  Arran's  post  late  last  night." 

This  only  gave  me  more  serious  reasons  for 
the  route  I  had  already  chosen,  but  the  enclosure 
quite  altered  my  mind.     It  ran  thus  : 

"  MoNsiEUE  LE  Capitaine, — Nc  rcvcncz  pas,  je 
vous  prie,  sous  pretexte  aucun  par  le  Glendevon, 
si  vous  tenez  ii  la  vie,  Elizabeth." 

What  could  this  mean  ?  The  signature  Avas 
royal  in  manner — or  had  it  another  meaning? 
But  how  knew  the  woman  to  speak  of  Glendevon, 
a  route  which  of  all  others  Avas  the  least  prob- 
able for  one  coming  from  St.  Andrews  to  take  or 
even  to  think  of  ?  AVas  it  that  she  knew  the  gate 
was  beset  for  me  on  all  the  other  routes?    That 


121 


was  scarce  probable.  If  not,  was  the  warning 
meant  in  good  faith  ?  Unhappily,  it  was  a  ques- 
tion whether  this  woman  ever  did  anything  in 
good  faith ;  and  again  she  was  not  likely  to 
trump  her  own  cards  ;  and  yet — 

The  mention,  however,  of  Glendevon  was 
enough ;  the  experiment  was  hopeless.  Calling 
David  Carryg  to  rae  at  once,  I  said  : 

"  David,  you  will  take  John  Sloan  and  my 
horse  and  Barabbas.  You  will  keep  the  south 
side  of  the  hills  until  you  strike  the  road  which 
crosses  to  Dunning.  You  will  follow  that  road 
into  Strathearn,  and  on  your  way  you  will  leave 
this  letter  with  the  Laird  of  Duncrub.  The 
letter  is  in  his  Majesty's  own  handwriting,  so 
that  if  any  stop  you  a  sight  of  the  outside  will 
reduce  them  to  civility.  That  is  all,  except  that 
you  will  wait  for  me  at  Ruthven  Castle  until  I 
come." 

Then,  dismounting,  I  pu£  the  bridle  into  his 
hand,  and  would  have  bade  the  party  godspeed, 
but  that  I  saw  Barabbas  climbing  deliberately 
from  his  saddle. 

"  Sir,"  said  he,  in  a  dogged  manner, ''  I  will  be 
of  your  company.'' 

"  You  will  obey  my  orders,  sir,"  retorted  I ; 
"you  are  not  now  in  Ruthven  Castle,  and  you 
will  accompany  my  men  wherever  they  go.'' 


122 


"  I  am  sorry,  sir ;  I  must  go  with  you  what- 
ever befalls.  I  dare  not  disobey  my  master's 
orders  in  this," 

For  a  moment  I  was  moved  to  end  this  diffi- 
culty in  an  obvious  manner.  My  life  was  in 
danger,  and  this  man's  obstinacy  threatened  to 
put  me  to  the  extremity.  I  had  a  right  to  his 
life.  Seizing  one  of  my  pistols,  I  balanced  it  for 
a  moment  in  my  hand ;  but  catching  sight  of 
the  face  of  the  poor  wretch,  who  made  no  move- 
ment to  escape  or  protect  himself,  I  dropped  my 
hand.  It  is  hard  to  strike  a  creature  which  does 
not  resist.  Moreover,  the  suspicion  that  he  had 
perhaps  done  me  some  service  with  the  papers 
which  were  crumpled  into  my  gauntlet  came 
back  to  me,  and  I  relented. 

'•  Well,"  said  I,  "  if  you  must  be  an  obstinate 
fool,  you  shall  come  with  me;  but  listen  care- 
fully to  the  condition.  For  the  next  twenty-four 
hours  you  will  neither  leave  my  sight  nor  open 
your  lips.  You  will  be  absolutely  dumb,  not- 
withstanding any  temptation  to  speak  Avhich 
may  be  offered  to  you.  If  you  say  so  much  as 
'  Bobo  Finla '  I  will  put  a  bullet  through  your 
brain  on  the  moment.  Is  that  understood  ? 
Well,  give  your  horse  to  Sloan ;  they  can  hire 
some  rascals  to  help  them  by  the  way." 

Thereupon,  turning  back  towards  St.  Andrews, 


123 


I  started  him  off  at  a  very  sharp  pace  along  the 
path  by  the  Common  Lade,  as  they  call  the  water 
which  runs  outside  the  southern  wall  of  the  city. 
AVhen  we  had  compassed  one-half  of  the  circuit 
of  the  place,  by  skirting  the  outside  of  this  wall 
we  came  to  the  Haven,  which  faces  to  the  north. 
And  this  we  did  in  no  great  space  of  time,  be- 
cause, although  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  is 
great,  their  buildings  do  not  cover  much  ground. 

"What  I  was  purposed  to  do  I  had  had  in  my 
mind  before;  so  that  I  knew  in  what  quarter  to 
apply,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  skipper  to 
carry  me  to  Dundee.  It  was  an  ill  chance  that  the 
water  was  low  at  the  time,  and  w'ould  not  grow 
again  for  two  hours  so  as  to  let  us  put  out ;  for 
the  Haven,  which  is  fashioned  by  means  of  a 
wooden  framework  with  stones  inside,  is  much 
impaired  by  sand  and  rocks,  and  it  is  only  at 
certain  conditions  of  the  tide  that  ships  can  enter 
or  go  out.  The  boat,  moreover,  in  which  we 
were  to  sail  had  no  deck.  Nevertheless,  I  caused 
Barabbas  to  embark  with  me,  and,  spreading  the 
sail  over  the  stern,  we  lay  down  beneath  it,  so  as 
to  escape  the  eyes  of  the  curious  and  wait  for 
the  rising  of  the  water. 

I  think  I  have  seldom  spent  two  hours  so 
wholly  miserable ;  but  the  tide  came  at  last,  and 
with  it  the  skipper.     Xow  it  chanced  that  this 


124 


skipper,  having  the  half  of  our  passage-money 
paid  in  advance,  had  so  misused  the  two  hours 
of  waiting  that  he  was  plainly  very  drunk  and 
blasphemous  in  his  speech.  But  by  the  time  I 
could  creep  out  with  safety  and  sit  upright  in 
the  boat  he  was  so  far  gone  that  he  lay  grunt- 
ing in  the  bilge,  out  of  all  sense  or  knowledge. 
He  was  soon  joined  in  that  refuge  by  Barabbas, 
who,  not  being  accustomed  to  go  upon  the  sea, 
w^as  seized  with  a  sore  sickness  when  we  came 
into  the  rough  water  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tay. 

This  might  have  been  a  serious  matter  if  I  had 
depended  only  on  the  skill  of  the  skipper,  for  I 
was  minded  to  land  not  at  Dundee,  but  St.  Johns- 
ton, and  the  Tay  has  so  many  sand-banks  that 
none  but  an  experienced  mariner  can  sail  a  boat 
up  it.  It  chanced,  however,  that  there  was  a 
smart  man  on  board  who  knew  the  river  as  well 
as  the  skipper ;  and  I  was  glad  that  things  fell 
out  as  they  did,  for  I  had  less  difficulty  in  per- 
suading the  younger  man  to  take  me  up  the  Tay 
than  I  might  have  had  with  the  skipper.  But 
on  no  consideration  would  he  consent  to  o-o  as 
far  as  Perth,  for  the  Pest  was  very  hot  there, 
and  I  had  to  be  content  to  be  landed  by  Elcho 
Castle. 

When  we  were  off  Dundee  the  breeze  died 
away,  and  we  had  to  fall  to  the  oars.     This  was 


125 


indeed  a  severe  labor,  for  the  boat  was  heavy 
and  the  oars  ill-raade;  but  the  lad  and  I  worked 
with  a  will,  so  that  for  some  days  after  I  had 
little  use  of  my  sword-hand.  I  have  scarce  ever 
seen  anything  so  beautiful  as  the  country  on  both 
sides  of  this  river,  and  I  would  fain  have  lingered 
on  the  journey  but  for  my  anxieties.  When  we 
had  worked  some  distance  up  the  river  the  course 
we  were  constrained  to  take  brought  us  close 
under  the  walls  of  Ballinbreicli  Castle  and  past 
the  landing-place  of  Xewburgh.  And  here  I 
grew  anxious  lest  the  horsemen  set  to  intercept 
me  at  this  ])oint  should  spy  me  in  the  boat.  But 
inasmuch  as  we  could  make  no  progress  unless  I 
took  an  oar,  and  I  was  afraid  that  my  dress 
might  draw  the  attention  of  those  on  the  shore, 
I  stripped  myself  naked  to  the  waist,  and  so  con- 
tinued to  row  until  we  were  out  of  the  ranae  of 
prying  eyes. 

At  Elcho  Castle,  a  few  miles  below  St.  Johns- 
ton, we  took  the  land,  and  parted  from  the 
boatmen,  Barabbas,  who  had  recovered  his  stom- 
ach, lending  a  sly  kick  to  the  still  recumbent 
skipper.  From  this  point  it  was  but  a  few  miles 
inland  to  our  destination,  and  I  counted  upon 
reaching  it  without  dilhculty  by  avoiding  the 
beaten  tracks  and  keeping  to  the  rough  ground. 

It  behooved  us,  however,  to  cross  the  King's 


126 


road  froin  Falkland  to  Perth.  As  we  came  down 
the  brae  towards  this  road,  the  twio;s  cracklino: 
beneath  our  feet,  Barabbas  sought  to  sta}^  me  by 
catching  at  my  cloak;  but  having  my  senses 
alive  to  other  things,  and  forgetting  for  the  mo- 
ment that  he  was  dumb,  I  cast  him  off  impa- 
tiently. In  a  few  seconds  we  were  crossing  the 
road ;  but  we  had  hardly  stepped  upon  it  when 
a  gentleman,  followed  by  four  other  horsemen, 
rode  out  of  a  clump  of  trees  and  called  upon  us 
to  stop. 

"I  am,"  said  he,  in  a  kindlv  manner,  "the 
Sheriff  of  this  county,  or,  rather,  the  Sheriff- 
Deputy,  and  I  believe  I  have  the  good  chance  to 
speak  to  Captain  Andrew  Eviot." 

"That  is  so,  Mr.  Sheriff,"  I  rephed  ;  "can  I 
serve  you  in  any  way  ?" 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  he,  in  an  embarrassed  man- 
ner, "  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  I  hold  a  com- 
mission for  your  arrest  for  stealing  a  letter  Avith 
violence  from  a  rider  named  Joshua  Henderson 
by  the  Clochrigstane." 

Whereupon  I  laughed,  saying,  "  If  that  is  all, 
it  is  soon  settled,  for  there  is  no  truth  in  it,  as  I 
can  easily  prove."  But  I  glanced  with  some  sus- 
picion at  the  companion  of  my  voyage. 

"  That  may  well  be,"  said  the  Sheriff ;  "  but," 
he    added,    meaningly,   "  there's   many   a   man 


137 


thrown  into  jiiil  on  a  trilling  charge,  and  once 
he  is  in  more  dangerous  matter  is  pretended 
against  him.  I  hope  it  will  not  be  so  in  your 
case.  I  am  also  charged  to  arrest  one  Carryg, 
your  servant.  I  suppose  this  is  he,  although  he 
hardly  answers  the  description  given  me.  llo  ! 
you,  sir ;  are  you  Carryg  V 

To  this  Barabbas  replied  nothing,  but  shook 
his  head;  and  being  many  times  called  upon, 
and  ffivino;  no  answer,  he  was  about  to  receive 
some  chastisement  at  the  hands  of  the  Sheriff 
when  I  thought  right  to  interpose.  At  first  I 
was  more  than  content  to  watch  his  embarrass- 
ment ;  but  seeing  clearly  that  this  was  not  a  play 
prepared  for  my  benefit,  I  explained  that  he  was 
a  servitor  of  my  Lord  of  Arran,  and  was  well 
known  at  Ruthven  Castle.  Whereupon  Mr. 
Sheriff  opened  his  eyes  very  wide,  and  seemed  to 
be  shrewdly  puzzled ;  but  some  of  his  own  men 
being  acquainted  with  the  appearance  of  Barab- 
bas, which  was  singular  enough,  he  was  satisfied 
to  discharge  him. 

Now  the  Tolbooth  of  Perth,  whither  I  was 
constrained  to  go  with  the  Sheriff,  was  an  insti- 
tution conducted  on  hospitable  principles.  My 
arms,  it  is  true,  Avere  taken  from  me  and  hung 
up  in  the  jailer's  lodge ;  but  in  common  with  the 
other  guests  I  was  allowed  to  roam  unchecked 


128 


over  the  rest  of  the  building,  and  there  was  no 
restriction  as  to  food,  provided  a  prisoner  could 
pay  for  it.  The  jailer  was  devoted  to  his  charges, 
and  loved  them  more  than  the  Bailies  of  Perth, 
who  found  him  his  wages.  The  Sheriff  himself 
paid  us  a  visit  in  the  evening,  with  the  special 
object  of  cheering  his  cousin,  the  Laird  of  Strowie, 
who  was  in  jail  for  debt.  Moreover,  before  leav- 
ing us  he  consumed  two  pints  of  ale  and  a  chopin 
of  auld  wine,  and  smoked  two  pipes  of  tobacco, 
to  his  own  great  contentment. 

The  Laird  of  Strowie  shook  his  head  when  he 
heard  how  I  came  to  be  cast  into  the  Tolbooth. 

"  Sir,"  said  he,  "  I  was  thrown  in  here  six 
months  ago  for  debt,  though  the  whole  country 
knows  that  I  owe  not  a  gray  groat  to  any 
man.  But  it  was  in  my  Lady  Jezabel's  knowl- 
edge that  I  had  been  in  the  Raid  of  Ruthven, 
and  she  keepeth  me  here  in  the  hope  of  wringing 
a  large  sum  of  money  from  me  in  purchase  of 
my  freedom.  It  is  like  that  she  looketh  for  the 
same  from  you." 

I  lay  here  some  days  in  no  discomfort  of  body, 
but  in  sore  distress  of  mind.  But  on  a  certain 
morning,  being  Sunday,  our  jailer  left  the  Tol- 
booth and  its  occupants  to  themselves.  Whether 
the  unusual  sum  I  had  given  him  by  way  of 
gratuity  drew  him  to  some  congenial  haunt,  or 


129 


he  attended  the  morning  preaching,  about  which 
the  Ministers  were  now  very  noisy,  I  know  not. 
But  I  took  the  opportunity  of  his  absence  to 
examine  the  only  part  of  the  building  with 
which  the  guests  were,  as  a  rule,  expected  not 
to  trifle.  And  when  my  companions  saw  what 
I  was  about  they  watched  my  motions  with 
some  interest. 

The  door  of  the  Tolbooth  was  generally 
secured  on  the  outside  by  a  catband,  but  on  this 
occasion  the  jailer  had  not  put  it  on.  Besides 
the  catband  there  was  a  lock  with  a  double  and 
a  single  cast.  AVhat  might  have  happened  if 
the  door  had  been  locked  with  the  double  cast  I 
cannot  say,  but  in  truth  it  was,  on  this  as  on 
many  other  mornings,  locked  only  with  the 
single  cast.  I  soon  found  that  my  predecessors 
in  the  Tolbooth  had,  as  was  only  natural,  paid  a 
good  deal  of  attention  to  this  lock ;  for  not  only 
was  a  large  portion  of  the  stone,  into  which  the 
bolt  was  shot,  broken  away,  but  the  bolt  itself 
was  half  worn  through  with  the  frequent  filings 
it  had  undergone.  I  had  therefore  nothing  to 
do  but  insert  my  finger  in  the  cleft  of  the  stone 
and  draw  back  the  bolt,  and  the  door  of  the 
Tolbooth  stood  wide  open  for  those  to  go  out 
thereat  who  would. 

Taking  down  my  sword,  dagger,  and  pistols 


130 


from  the  wall  in  the  jailer's  lodge,  I  step23ed  out 
into  the  street,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the 
prisoners,  who  within  an  incredibly  short  time 
melted  away  and  were  seen  no  more.  There 
was  no  one  to  stop  us ;  the  place  was  like  a  city 
of  the  dead.  Whether  this  was  due  to  the  fear 
inspired  b}^  the  Plague  of  Pestilence  I  cannot 
say,  but  at  this  time  a  citizen  could  scarce  walk 
upon  the  street  or  the  shore  during  the  time  of 
the  preaching  without  being  haled  before  the 
kirk-session,  and  maybe  we  of  the  Tolbooth 
owed  more  to  the  ministry  of  Perth  than  we 
wot  of. 

This  exodus  of  its  inhabitants  from  the  Tol- 
booth without  leave  led  to  a  prolonged  lawsuit 
between  the  Bailies  of  Perth  and  an  infuriate 
suitor  whose  debtor  escaped  with  me.  At  sev- 
eral seasons,  when  much  outcry  has  been  made 
in  the  matter,  the  Bailies  came  very  near  to  re- 
pairing the  lock ;  but  it  is  there  as  it  was  to  this 
day,  after  a  lapse  of  more  than  twenty  years. 


CHAPTER  XI 

In  less  than  an  hour  I  was  mounting  the  steps 
leading  to  the  apartments  in  Ruthven  Castle 
occupied  by  my  Lady  Arran.  In  the  room  on 
the  first  floor  I  found  two  young  men  lolling  on 
the  seats  in  the  window  and  pondering  upon 
their  dinner.  To  the  elder  of  the  two,  who  was 
wielding  a  picktooth,  I  addressed  myself. 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  "  if  my  Lady  Arran  is  still  at 
the  castle,  I  shall  be  obliged  if  you  will  cause 
her  to  be  informed  that  Captain  Eviot  seeks  an 
interview  with  her." 

The  young  gentleman  looked  at  me,  said 
nothing,  and  resumed  the  occupation  of  pick- 
ing his  teeth,  which  I  had  inconsiderately  inter- 
rupted. 

"  I  asked  you  a  question,  sir,"  said  I,  "  which 
you  appear  not  to  have  understood." 

''  My  Lady  will  not  see  you,"  he  replied,  care- 
lessly, and  speaking  with  his  back  half  turned 
upon  me. 

"  Pray  be  good  enough  to  take  my  message, 
and  bring  me  my  Lady's  answer." 


133 


"Not  I." 

"  Well,  if  you  will  not  do  your  duty,  I  must 
make  you  do  it,"  and,  seizing  him  by  the  collar, 
I  dragged  him  to  the  corner  of  the  room,  where, 
throwing  back  the  tapestry,  I  entered  upon  the 
stairs  leading  to  tlie  upper  floor.  Up  those  steps 
I  dragged  him,  taking  care  to  permit  his  knees 
and  other  projecting  members  of  his  body  to 
make  acquaintance  with  the  steps,  which  were 
of  hard  whinstone. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  upper  floor  he  was 
the  richer  by  a  good  many  contusions,  while  his 
dress  was  disordered,  and  here  and  there  frayed 
by  contact  with  stone  edges.  This  was  not  done 
without  some  noise,  which  brought  out  Mistress 
Kennedy,  the  Countess's  gentlewoman. 

"  What  meaneth  this  V  cried  she. 

"It  meaneth,  fair  mistress,  that  this  young 
gentleman  refused  to  carry  my  name  to  my 
Lady,  and  that  I  have  merely  compelled  him  to 
show  me  the  way  up-stairs." 

"  And  you  have  done  well,  sir.  Of  a  truth  my 
Lady  will  be  glad  to  see  you ;  but  as  for  you, 
John  Munro,  if  your  impertinence  comes  to  the 
ears  of  my  Lady,  you  will  have  an  ill  time.  You 
are  a  forward,  lazy,  conceited,  useless  varlet,  and 
we  should  be  well  quit  of  you." 

On  my  entry  to  the  chamber  ujy  Lady  ap- 


133 


peared  to  be  taken  by  surprise,  but  she  greeted 
me  with  some  warmth,  taking  both  of  ray  hands 
in  hers.  I  cared  not  whether  this  cordiahty  was 
real  or  assumed.  For  the  moment  it  allowed  me 
to  think  that  I  was  safe  in  Ruthven  Castle.  ]\lis- 
tress  Jean,  on  the  other  hand,  met  me  as  one  who 
had  no  interest  in  my  coming. 

"  I  am  fortunate,"  said  I — "  fortunate  in  com- 
ing safely  back,  and  in  finding  both  of  you  fair 
ladies  still  here." 

"I  care  not,  as  a  rule,"  answered  my  Lad}^, 
"  for  a  country  life,  but  I  have  taken  a  strange 
fancy  to  this  place.  My  Lord  has  unpleasant  as- 
sociations with  it  and  likes  it  not.  But  Jean 
agrees  with  me  that  there  is  an  air  of  romance 
about  it.     Is  it  not  so,  Jean  ?" 

"  I  see  nothing  in  the  place,"  said  Jean  ;  "  the 
society  of  M'Kuskan  Grossok  and  Cristine  does 
not  go  very  far." 

"  You  see.  Captain  Andrew,  you  and  I  count 
for  nothing,"  remarked  my  Lady,  with  malice. 

"  Nay,"  retorted  Jean,  "  my  Lady  is  always 
engrossing,  and  Captain  Andrew  is  really  very 
funny." 

There  was  clearly  something  amiss  between 
the  two.  The  Countess  covered  this  retort  b}' 
turning  to  me,  and  asking  whether  I  had  met  my 
Lord  on  my  way. 


134 


"I  could  hardly  do  that,"  said  I,  "unless  my 
Lord  took  ship  at  Perth,  for  I  came  by  boat  to 
the  Castle  of  Elcho,  and  should  have  been  here 
some  nights  ago  but  that  I  was  thrown  into  the 
Tolbooth  at  Perth  on  a  charge  of  stealing  a  let- 
ter." "Whereat  my  Lady  was  greatly  surprised, 
and  showed  signs  of  displeasure. 

"  Who  did  this  ?  And  if  it  were  so,  how  came 
you  hither  ?" 

"  I  simply  walked  out  at  the  front  door  of  the 
Tolbooth,  and  here  I  am.  As  for  my  accuser,  he 
was  one  of  my  Lord's  men  named  Henderson ; 
but  I  need  hardly  say  there  was  no  truth  in  the 
charge." 

"  He  shall  hear  more  of  this,  I  pledge  my  word. 
But,  in  truth,  we  are  rather  dull  here,  Captain 
Andrew,  and  wish  to  be  amused.  Have  you  had 
any  other  good-fortunes  ?" 

"  Well,  to  say  sooth,  I  have.  I  found  a  chain." 
1  noticed  that  Jean's  eyes  w^ere  fixed  on  the 
ground. 

"  You  are  rather  fond  of  chains,  are  you 
not?" 

"I  have  not  had  much  experience  in  them. 
The  only  other  chain  I  ever  had  in  my  posses- 
sion was  stolen  from  me"  (Jean  was  clearly  dis- 
pleased) ;  "  but  I  will  show  you  that  which  I 
found,  for  one  of  you  two  ladies  may  have  lost 


135 


it."  And  I  produced  the  chain  of  calcedonies 
from  my  doublet. 

"  It  probably  belongs  to  some  serving-woman," 
said  ray  Lady,  eying  it  indulgently.  But  before 
I  could  look  at  Jean  Uchiltrie  she  had  snatched 
it  from  my  hand,  crying,  with  great  indignation  : 
"  IIow  dare  you,  sir?  That  is  mine ;  where  did 
you  get  it  ?  Did  you  bribe  somebody  to  steal  it 
from  me  ?"  And  Avithout  further  words  she  flung 
out  of  the  apartment. 

"What  in  the  name  of  John  Knox  does  that 
mean  V  said  I,  my  eyes  wide  open  with  astonish- 
ment. 

"  Ah !"  laughed  my  Lady,  softly,  "  men  never 
do  understand  us ;  but  of  all  the  stupid  men  I 
ever  saw  you  are  the  most  stupid.  Why,  man, 
can  you  not  see  that  the  girl  is  in  love  with  you, 
and  meant  you  to  keep  the  chain  as  a  gage  ? 
Then  you  bring  it  here,  and  before  another  of 
her  own  sex  make  a  jest  of  it.  I  wonder  she  did 
not  tear  your  eyes  out.  But  you  are  right  to 
treat  it  lightly ;  I  have  had  great  trouble  Avith 
her,  and  her  fancy  will  change  to  some  other 
man  in  a  month.  But  tell  me  where  you  '  found ' 
this  chain." 

"  Kay,"  said  I,  "  I  have  already  said  too  much 
about  it ;  I  will  say  no  more."  And  I  had  my 
own   opinion   of   my   Lady's   surmise,  and   my 


136 


stupidity,  and  Mistress  Jean's  fanciful  nature. 
I  was  not  so  stupid  as  I  looked. 

"  Well,  we  will  drop  that  subject ;  but  tell  me, 
did  you  get  a  letter  from  me  about  Glendevon  ? 
Well,  Andrew,  you  believe  that  I  am  your 
friend  ?"  And  she  spoke  softly,  coming  close  to 
me  and  putting  her  hand  upon  my  arm ;  and — 
Avell,  she  was  assuredly  a  very  handsome  woman, 
but  I  lost  not  my  head. 

"  Have  I  not  the  best  reason  to  know  my  Lady 
for  my  friend  ?" 

"  Well,"  continued  she,  "  if  you  know  that,  you 
know  that  there  are  two  sides  to  friendship.  I 
would  have  you  help  me  as  I  help  you.  You 
have  interested  me,  and  I  will  make  your  fort- 
une if  you  will  be  a  friend  to  me.  I  want  your 
help." 

"  I  know  of  no  way  in  which  so  humble  a  per- 
son as  I  can  serve  you  ;  but  if  you  w^ill  make 
your  meaning  plain,  I  will  try." 

"  I  think  you  understand  my  meaning  ;  but  in 
case  you  don't,  I  will  ask  you  a  plain  question : 
Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  X  Jewel  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  I  have  heard  of  it ;  it  is  said 
to  be  a  Papist  jewel." 

"  Where  did  you  hear  that  ?"  she  asked,  sharp- 
ly, with  the  manner  of  one  who  had  me  in  a 
trap. 


137 


"  Mr.  Andrew  Melvill  said  so  on  Monday  night 
in  St.  Andrews." 

"How  dare  you  jest  with  me,  sir';!"'  she  cried, 
in  great  anger.  "  The  whole  world  knows  that 
Mr.  Andrew  fled  to  England  many  months  ago, 
and  dares  not  show  his  nose  in  St.  Andrews." 

"  So  my  Lord  told  me,"  replied  I,  with  a  great 
calm,  "  the  last  time  I  was  here.  The  whole 
world  knows  it ;  but  the  whole  world  does  not 
know  that  Mr.  Andrew  was  in  St.  Andrews  on 
Monday  last." 

"  Did  you  see  him,  sir  ?" 

"  Nay,  but  I  heard  him.  I  may  as  well  tell 
you  the  whole  story,  as  it  is  known  to  all  the 
horse-boys  and  grooms  who  follow  the  Court. 
His  Highness  and  Mr,  Andrew  were  disputing 
in  a  chamber  with  an  open  window  last  Mon- 
day night,  and  Mr.  Andrew  charges  his  Highness 
with  carrying  the  X  Jewel,  being  the  mark  of 
the  Beast,  in  his  bosom;  whereupon  his  High- 
ness declares  m  verbo  Principis,  that,  if  such  a 
thing  exists,  he  knows  not  in  what  part  of  the 
world  it  is." 

"  Is  tliat  all  ?"  said  my  Lady,  relapsing  into 
her  ordinary  humor.  "  Perhaps  there  is  no  such 
thing.  And  yet,"  she  added,  as  if  speaking  to 
herself,  "  he  is  fond  of  a  grim  jest." 

"  What  is  the  jest  ?"  said  L 


138 


"  Jest  ?  Did  I  say  jest  ?  Oh  !  there  is  no  jest 
in  it."  But  I  said  to  myself  that  I  knew  what 
she  meant.  The  King  was  fond  of  a  practical 
joke  at  the  expense  of  the  members  of  his  Court, 
and  he  was  quite  capable  of  making  one  of  tliem 
miserable  about  the  supposed  loss  of  a  jewel, 
while  he  was  actually  carrying  it  suspended 
about  his  neck.  Such  a  trick  he  was  capable  of 
playing  upon  my  Lord  and  Lady  of  Arran,  but  I 
knew  he  would  not  play  it  upon  me.  This  doubt 
in  my  Lady's  mind,  and  her  evident  earnestness 
about  the  whole  matter,  set  my  mind  at  rest 
upon  one  point.  Whoev^er  had  the  jewel,  she 
had  it  not. 

"  I  doubt,"  continued  the  Countess,  "  whether 
there  is  such  a  jewel ;  but  it  truly  is  said  that  a 
jewel  belonging  to  the  King  is  missing,  and  I  have 
thought  that  this  girl  may  have  taken  it.  She 
had  the  opportunity — that  much  is  certain.  She 
is  a  strange,  secretive  creature,  and  I  can  make 
nothing  of  her.  My  Lord,  as  I  dare  say  you 
know,  has  the  gift  of  her  marriage,  and  it  may 
be  that  she  resents  this ;  but,  believe  me,  she  has 
given  me  much  anxiety.  She  seems  to  have  a 
liking  for  you ;  and  you  can  help  me  in  this — you 
can  tell  me  what  you  think  of  her." 

This  was  in  effect  what  I  desired,  and  I  could 
not  pass  the  chance.     I  wished  to  have  the  op- 


139 


portunity  of  speaking  to  Mistress  Jean;  but 
neither  to  the  King  nor  to  this  woman  did  I  en- 
gage to  betray  her  secrets  if  she  confided  in  me, 
nor  indeed  did  any  such  idea  enter  into  my  mind. 
So  I  rephed,  temperately,  to  my  Lady : 

"  If  it  is  your  wish  to  know  what  I  think  of 
this  young  lady,  you  must  give  me  the  chance  of 
speaking  with  her  —  a  chance  I  have  as  yet  not 
had." 

"  You  shall  certainly  have  every  possible  op- 
portunity." And  indeed  my  Lady  was  as  good  as 
her  word,  for  I  was  constantly  in  the  company 
of  both  of  these  ladies ;  and  the  Countess  from 
time  to  time,  as  she  had  the  chance  of  doing  so 
without  appearance  of  intention,  left  me  alone 
with  Mistress  Jean,  but  always  in  the  garden,  a 
good  view  of  which  could  be  got  from  the  house. 
But  the  plot  entirely  missed  its  mark,  for  no 
sooner  was  I  alone  with  the  girl  than,  as  if  she 
knew  what  passed  between  m3''self  and  my  Lady, 
she  became  silent  and  morose,  and  refused  to 
speak  with  me.  And  this  continuing  for  some 
space,  both  my  Lady  and  I  began  to  be  very  far 
from  content. 


CHAPTER   XII 

This  was  a  state  of  things  which  could  not 
last.  For  a  time  my  Lady  was  very  great  with 
me,  treating  me  on  terms  of  familiarity  and 
friendship.  But  erelong  I  fancied  that  she  began 
to  fall  out  of  conceit  with  me.  Whether  she 
thought  me  useless,  or  maybe  her  enemy,  it  was 
enough  that  I  seemed  to  have  failed  her.  I 
doubt  not  that,  if  I  had  been  able  to  run  their 
course,  this  woman  and  my  Lord  of  Arran 
would  have  proved  as  faithful  friends  as  most 
other  Court  politicians  in  Scotland,  or,  for  that 
matter,  in  any  other  country  in  the  world.  But 
I  had  my  own  course  to  run,  and  though  I  lived 
on  terms  of  intimacy  with  my  Lady  and  her 
ward,  the  intimacy  stopped  at  a  certain  point. 
Like  all  imperious  and  selfish  women,  she  was 
vain,  and  though  she  may  have  had  little  real 
value  for  me,  she  could  not  endure  that  I  should 
prefer  the  younger  woman  to  her.  And  I  fear 
she  came  to  feel  this — for  it  is  a  thing  women 
quickly  detect  or  men  easily  betray — although  I 


I 


Ml 


endeavored  to  conceal  it,  and  Mistress  Jean 
avoided  me  like  poison.  So  it  came  about  that 
my  Lady  would  leave  the  castle  for  periods  of 
two  or  three  da3's  at  a  time,  for  she  had  much 
business  on  hand,  and  Iluthven  began  to  lose  its 
romance  in  her  eyes. 

I  was  at  that  time  riding  a  great  black  horse 
with  a  white  spot  on  its  forehead  and  three 
white  feet.  It  was  a  beautiful  creature,  and  as 
generous  in  its  temper  as  its  appearance.  It 
chanced  one  morning  that,  when  he  was  brought 
out  of  his  stable  by  John  Sloan,  my  Lady  and 
Mistress  Jean  were  present ;  and,  as  some  women 
are  prone  to  do.  Mistress  Jean  showed  him  much 
courtesy,  stroking  his  sleek  coat,  caressing,  and 
even  talking  to  him.  All  which  the  good  beast, 
who  was  accustomed  to  kind  treatment — for  he 
was  a  horse  which  even  the  devil  himself  would 
not  ill  use — seemed  to  understand,  and  accepted 
with  pleasure. 

"  By  what  name  call  you  this  horse.  Captain 
Andrew?"  said  the  girl. 

"  I  call  him  Black  Ouviot,  which  is  a  good 
name  for  a  good  horse." 

"  ISTay,  I  think  not  that  that  is  his  name — is  it, 
old  fellow  ?    But  where  got  you  him  ?" 

"  I  think  I  shall  not  tell  you,  Mistress  Jean. 
I  begin  to  think  you  would  claim  him  from  me. 


142 


and  as  he  is  worth  his  weight  in  gold  to  me,  I 
cannot  give  him  up." 

This  was  no  vain  protest,  for  the  theft  of 
horses  was  as  fruitful  a  source  of  quarrels  and 
feuds  in  Scotland  as  the  disposing  of  teind 
sheaves.  Men  were  hanged  or  drowned  every 
day  "for"  horses,  staigs,  or  mares,  as  well  as 
for  humbler  and  less  useful  creatures.  It  was 
the  habit  of  the  thief  to  sell  the  stolen  horse  as 
promptly  as  possible,  and  therefore  often  at  a 
low  price.  But  whether  the  new  owner  ac- 
quired him  fairly  or  not,  he  was  loath  to  give 
him  up.  Mr.  George  Buchanan,  for  all  that  he 
was  a  great  scholar,  was  "extreme  vengeable 
against  any  that  offendit  him,"  and  did  much 
mischief  to  my  Lord  of  Morton  for  a  hackney 
which  my  Lord  bought  after  it  had  been  stolen 
from  Mr.  George.  Indeed,  but  for  Mr.  George's 
allowance  of  it,  the  practice  against  the  Regent 
might  never  have  taken  a  beginning.  And  all 
for  a  horse ! 

Mistress  Jean's  question  was  simple  enough, 
and  it  was  simply  put ;  no  stranger  would  have 
thought  it  anything  but  idle.  I  could  see  what 
my  Lady  thought  of  the  episode,  but  my  Lady 
did  not  understand  this  girl,  and  she  was  wrong. 
I,  however,  knew  that  the  question  had  some- 
thing behind  it,  because  relations  were  so  strained 


143 


between  Mistress  Jean  and  myself  that  she  would 
not  willingly  have  shown  interest  in  anything 
belonging  to  me.  And  I  mention  it  because,  as 
Avill  be  seen,  there  was  something  behind  it. 

The  day  following  this  question  about  my 
horse,  one  Berald  Stewart,  a  cousin  of  my  Lord 
of  Arran,  came  to  seek  an  interview  with  my 
Lady.  AVith  him  were  two  other  gentlemen, 
one  of  whom  was  said  to  be  a  son  of  the  Laird 
of  Graden,  Avho  looked  as  if  he  feared  the  face 
of  no  man,  but  went  where  and  did  whatsoever 
he  listed.  But  for  all  his  bold  countenance,  the 
man  was  simple  in  his  manner  and  free  from  ar- 
rogance ;  and  I  told  myself  that,  if  I  had  not  re- 
membered awry  all  that  I  had  heard,  this  man 
was  not  a  son  of  Graden,  but  my  Lord  of  Both- 
well. 

The  demeanor  of  Berald  Stewart  I  liked  not, 
and  as  I  was  not  yet  prepared  for  an  open  rupt- 
ure with  my  Lady  and  her  friends,  I  troubled 
her  guests  with  but  little  of  my  presence.  But 
I  noted  with  admiration  the  arrogance  of  her 
bearing  to  them  as  compared  with,  her  kindness 
to  me,  and  I  misliked  it.  By-and-bv,  however, 
this  Berald  Stewart,  accompanied  by  my  Lord 
of  Bothwell,  coming  down  the  steps  from  the 
lii*st  floor,  sought  me  in  the  garden. 

"  Ila,"  said  the  former,  "  the  chain-Under  !" 


144 


"  What  mean  you,  feather-head.  ?"  replied  my 
Lord. 

"The  poor  devil  of  a  capitaine,  who  finds  chains 
for  ladies." 

"  I  would  he  might  find  a  chain  for  thy  fool's 
tongue,  thou  addle-pated  chatterbox.  If  it  be 
yonder  man  you  speak  of,  by  God's  death !  he 
looketh  to  me  to  be  the  man  to  do  it." 

"  Francis,  Francis,  you  know  that  1  love  you, 
and  will  take  all  your  hard  Avords  without  of- 
fence ;  but  you  are  in  the  wrong  about  this  man 
of  chains." 

"  Hout,  hout,  ye  bear  with  my  words  because 
ye  darena  refuse  them.  But  what  the  devil  have 
ye  to  do  with  this  gentleman?  If  ye  provoke 
him,  he  will  cut  your  comb  for  ye,  for  I  trow  he 
is  the  better  man.  Believe  me,  Berald  Stewart, 
ye  are  no  match  for  that  man.  I  have  an  eye 
for  such  matters." 

"  I  will  show  you  that  your  eye  deceives  you  at 
times.  Ah !  my  captain,  how  is  the  weather  for 
chains  1"   This  he  addressed  in  a  loud  voice  to  me. 

"  It  seems,"  replied  I,  "  good  enough  weather 
for  chaining  your  tongue  to  your  lugs.  I  am 
somewhat  of  my  Lord's  opinion  about  you." 

"  Ah !"  said  my  Lord,  "  is  it  so ;  do  ye  know 
me,  man  ?  To  be  sure  there's  more  know  Francis 
Stewart  than  Francis  Stewart  knows." 


145 


"  Be  assured,  my  Lord  ;  ray  tongue  is  not,  like 
your  friend's,  in  need  of  chaining.  If  I  know 
you,  I  will  keep  my  own  counsel." 

Hereupon  Berald  Stewart  got  his  word  in 
again. 

"  Who's  tongue,  sir,  were  you  good  enough  to 
say  you  would  chain  ?" 

"  I  would,"  retorted  I,  with  some  irritation, 
"that  thou  wert  chained  by  the  tongue  to  the 
fork  at  the  end  of  the  devil's  tail,  and  that  he 
would  drag  thee — " 

''  "Would  you  ?  I  suppose  j^ou  are  prepared  to 
give  me  the  satisfaction  I  have  a  right  to  ask  for 
this — at  once  ?" 

"  Surely,  at  once." 

"With  one  or  two  persons  present  to  see  that 
all  things  are  done  in  order  ?" 

"  With  everybody  present  who  is  within  hail 
of  the  castle,  and  cares  to  attend."  And  calling 
aloud  for  Carryg,  I  bade  him  warn  all  the  men 
who  were  about  to  attend  within  five  minutes 
in  the  Watery  Meadow.  This  meadow  lay  be- 
tween two  thickets  outside  the  garden  wall. 
The  garden  itself  "would  have  been  the  better 
place,  but  we  could  scarce  desecrate  with  our 
combat  the  retreat  of  the  ladies  in  the  castle. 

Within  but  a  short  space  of  time  about  for- 
ty or  fifty  persons,   being    gentlemen,   gentle- 

10 


146 


men's  gentlemen,  servants,  husbandmen,  and 
jackmen,  stood  round  a  small  open  space  in  the 
Watery  Meadow,  in  the  midst  of  which  Berald 
Stewart  was  to  have  his  satisfaction.  When  we 
had  removed  our  doublets,  the  sun  having  passed 
the  meridian  by  two  hours,  we  drew  lots  for  the 
western  position,  and  the  lot  falling  to  me,  we 
took  our  places  and  engaged  at  once. 

I  soon  found  that  this  man  had  more  sense  in 
his  sword  than  his  tongue.  So  far  as  science 
went,  I  knew  all  that  the  Italian  fencers  of  the 
day  practised,  but  this  man  also  knew  it.  And 
being  master  of  his  science,  he  went  somewhat 
beyond  it,  and  did  what  some  masters  of  fence 
Avere  tempted  to  do.  From  time  to  time  he  would 
indulge  in  combinations  which  were  in  defiance 
of  all  the  known  rules.  This  method  is  likely  to 
be  very  deadly  with  those  who,  though  knowing 
the  rules,  are  not  complete  masters  of  them.  To 
a  man  like  myself,  to  whom  the  practice  of  those 
rules  was  a  second  nature,  these  outbursts  were 
not  so  embarrassing,  but  they  were  very  danger- 
ous to  the  man  who  practised  them. 

In  particular  he  made  use  of  a  certain  curved 
thrust,  Avhich  was  very  dangerous  to  him  in  this 
sense,  that  its  use  must  of  necessity  leave  his 
guard  open  for  a  moment.  The  first  time  he 
tried  it  he  touched  me  slightly  on  the  outside  of 


147 


the  arm,  and  the  cut,  thougli  slight,  bled  profuse- 
ly. The  second  time  I  only  saved  it  Avitli  the 
counter-guard  of  my  sword.  The  third  time — 
what  happened  the  third  time  passed  so  quickly 
(I  might  say  it  passed  more  quickly  than  thought) 
that  no  description  in  words  can  give  an  accurate 
idea  of  it.  I  speak  now  of  things  I  noticed,  or 
things  I  thought ;  but  they  passed  so  quickly 
that  it  seems  more  correct  to  say  that  I  felt 
them. 

After  my  adversary  had  used  tliis  curved 
thrust  for  the  second  time,  I  became  conscious 
that  it  was  on  both  occasions  preceded  by  a  sort 
of  shiver  in  his  arm.  AYhen  I  saw  the  shiver  for 
the  third  time,  I  simply  ran  him  through  the 
body. 

Speaking  of  the  thing  afterwards  in  cold  blood, 
I  can  only  explain  it  by  saying  that  I  knew  there 
was  a  moment  before  the  thrust  came  in  which  a 
quick  stroke  might  get  past  his  guard.  When  I 
saw  the  shiver  I  ran  the  risk  of  assuming  that 
the  curved  cut  was  coming  again,  and  without 
looking  at  his  sword  I  ran  him  through  on  the 
moment.     My  instinct  was  right. 

"  That  shows,"  said  my  Lord  Bothwell,  as 
Stewart's  men  were  busied  with  him, "  that  a  man 
may  be  a  good  fencer  and  a  bad  fighter.  This 
poor  devil  had  skill  of  fence,  but  no  brains  ;  and 


148 


SO  he  must  needs  use  that  thrust  three  times  with 
a  swordsman  who  knew  what  to  do  with  it." 
Then  he  drew  me  a  little  apart  and  said : 
"  Captain  Eviot,  this  matter  has  done  me  much 
good.  I  feel  a  better  man  after  it,  and  I  am  not  an 
over  good  one.  But,  my  friend,  this  will  come 
to  the  King's  lugs,  which  are  longer  than  they 
ought  to  be,  as  I  know  to  ray  cost.  He  liketh 
not  the  sight  of  cold  steel,  nor  those  who  use  it. 
But  I  am  your  witness  that  the  quarrel  was  none 
of  your  seeking;  only  I  must  be  out  of  this 
country  before  you  appeal  to  my  testimony. 
JS'ay,  I  will  do  better,  man ;  I  will  write  to  his 
Majesty.  It  is  my  painful  duty  to  write  often 
to  my  cousin  James  about  his  own  miscarriages; 
and  though  he  taketli  my  letters  in  but  ill  part, 
he  knoweth  that  I  do  not  bear  false  witness." 

As  I  was  wiping  the  blood  from  my  sword 
with  a  wisp  of  grass,  I  caught  sight  of  a  pale  face 
with  glittering  eyes  on  the  outskirt  of  the  crowd. 
It  was  Jean  Uchiltrie. 


i 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  little  crowd  was  melting  away  and  break- 
ing into  small  clusters,  discussing  the  encounter 
with  deep  interest.  Now  and  then  a  man  would 
break  into  gestures,  making  thrusts  in  pantomime 
to  enforce  his  meaning,  while  others  would  shake 
their  heads. 

But  what  did  Mistress  Jean  at  such  a  meet- 
inof?  Beins:  minded  that  she  should  remain  no 
longer  on  the  ground,  I  passed  to  where  she 
stood ;  but  before  1  could  speak  her  sharp  e3'es 
had  seen  what  I  myself  had  for  the  moment  for- 
gotten. 

"  You  are  hurt,"  she  said,  pointing  to  the  blood 
which  was  still  dripping  from  my  arm. 

"  Nay,  it  is  no  more  than  a  scratch ;  some 
scratches  bleed  freely.  But  wliat  do  you  here? 
Tills  is  not  a  siglit  for  your  bright  e^'es  to  look 
upon." 

"  I  could  not  help  it.  I  saw  from  the  tow- 
er what  was  passing,  and  I  could  not  stay 
there  and  look  on  at  a  distance.  I  am  ghid  I 
came." 


150 


"  You  must  go  now  ;  you  cannot  be  permitted 
to  remain  on  such  a  scene." 

"  I  will  o^o,  but  I  would  say  something;  first. 
I  must  speak  with  you.  Can  you  be  under  the 
beech-tree  in  the  garden  just  before  dusk  ?" 

"  You  may  count  on  my  being  there,  if  it  will 
serve  you  in  any  way." 

Women  are  sadly  out  of  place  on  such  occa- 
sions, and  I  was  glad  to  see  her  go,  for  Cristine, 
who  had  come  with  her,  was  on  the  point  of 
going  into  hysterics. 

Whether  my  antagonist  yet  lived  I  knew  not. 
His  people  had  carried  him  to  the  basement  of 
the  castle,  and  now  I  made  my  way  to  my  own 
apartment,  where  Carryg  bound  up  my  arm. 
It  was  slashed,  not  dangerously,  but  so  as  to  re- 
quire some  slight  attention.  And  for  some  hours 
I  lay  on  my  pallet  nursing  it.  Towards  dusk  I 
stole  out  and  found  my  way  to  the  beech-tree 
in  the  garden,  and  here  I  was  joined  before 
many  minutes  b}^  Mistress  Jean.  It  seems  that 
at  this  hour  it  was  my  Lady's  practice  to  shut 
herself  up  in  an  apartment  where  she  consulted 
the  occult  powers  as  to  the  future,  and  Jean 
availed  herself  of  the  respite  to  escape  from  the 
house. 

"  Captain  Eviot,"  said  she,  defiantly,  "  you 
will  readily  believe  that  only  very  strong  mo- 


151 


tives  would  have  made  me  seek  this  inter- 
view." 

"  I  can  have  no  difficulty  in  understanding^ 
that,"  I  replied,  somewhat  dryly.  She  was  too 
ready  to  show  me  that  this  meeting  was  not  due 
to  any  interest  she  took  in  me. 

"  AVhat  is  a  matter  of  life  or  death  to  me  may 
seem  trifling  to  you." 

"  That  is  clearly  impossible." 

These  curt  replies  annoyed  her,  as  I  meant 
they  should  ;  for,  though  herself  much  given  to 
irony,  in  common  with  the  rest  of  her  sex  she 
could  ill  bear  to  be  made  the  subject  of  it. 

"  It  may  be  everything  in  the  world  to  me," 
she  continued,  "  and  it  will  cost  you  nothing  to 
give  it." 

"  Very  well,  Mistress  Jean  ;  to  come  to  the 
point,  what  is  it  ?" 

"  I  would  have  you  tell  me  where  3'ou  got 
your  horse."  I  opened  my  eyes  in  some  aston- 
ishment, and  marvelled  what  this  might  mean. 
After  some  thought  I  answered  her  thus  : 

"  Mistress  Jean,  some  time  since  you  asked  me 
a  question  about  a  ballad  you  heard  me  sing, 
which  I  could  not  answer.  And  because  I  could 
not  answer,  you  called  me  a  spy.  Was  that 
well  ?" 

"  Surely  I  hope  not." 


152 


"  You  hope  not  'i  And  mean  you  that  you  ask 
a  service  of  me — be  it  a  trifle,  if  you  will  have 
it  so — when  you  hope  I  am  not  a  spy  ?" 

"  Nay,  I  do  not  think  it.  I  did  not  think  it 
then;  I  never  thought  it ;  I  would  I  had  never 
said  it." 

"  Well,  I  could  tell  you  now,  if  so  you  wish  it, 
what  you  asked  me  then — it  has  come  back  to 
my  remembrance.  And  surely  I  could  tell  you 
somewhat  about  Black  Ouviot,  though  possibly 
not  so  much  as  you  would  wish  to  know.  But 
whereas  the  jade  Fortune  has  made  of  me  a 
soldier.  Nature  meant  me  for  a  tradesman,  and 
it  is  my  rule  never  to  do  anything  for  noth- 
ing." 

"  Whatever  I  may  think  of  others,  I  could 
scarce  think  that  of  you." 

"  You  have  thought  much  worse  of  me  than 
that,  to  judge  from  the  manner  in  which  you  have 
used  me  for  some  time  back.  For  a  friend,  for 
one  who  trusts  and  believes  in  him,  a  man  Avill 
do  much.  But  be  not  mistaken ;  even  an  auld 
sang  has  its  price  in  this  world,  or  the  story  of 
a  ballad  and  a  horse." 

"  And  what  may  your  price  be,  sir  ?  They 
tell  me  I  am  rich." 

"  Tell  me,"  said  I,  wholly  disregarding  the 
sneer,  "  what  you  know  about  the  jewel,  and  I 


i5;j 


will  answer  your  question,  and  possibly  as  many 
more  as  you  may  be  pleased  to  ask." 

"  I  can  tell  you  nothing,"  she  replied  in  a  low 
voice,  and  looking  on  the  ground.  She  said  not 
that  she  had  knowledge  of  the  jewel,  but  I 
thought  she  had. 

"  I  thought  you  said  this  was  a  matter  of  life 
and  death  to  you,  and  yet  you  will  pass  it  by 
that  you  may  keep  your  own  knowledge  of  a 
miserable  chain." 

"  I  can  tell  you  nothing,"  she  repeated  ;  "  but 
your  miserable  chain  seems  to  be  a  matter  of 
death  and  life  to  you." 

"  It  is ;  but  you  women  expect  to  get  all 
things  you  ask  for  in  this  "world  and  give  noth- 
ing in  return.  The  chain  is  as  vital  to  me  as 
the  horse  and  ballad  are  to  you." 

"  Ask  me  not ;  I  can  tell  3'ou  nothing."  Her 
tone  was  despondent;  then  she  roused  herself 
and  spoke  with  some  passion  : 

"  You  are  a  man  and  strong ;  have  you  no 
pity  for  a  weak  and  friendless  woman?  Have 
you  no  generosity  in  your  strength  that  you  can 
give  me  nothing  without  a  return  ?  I  am  alone 
in  this  place,  held  down  by  a  hateful  woman, 
without  father  or  mother,  without  friends  or  kin 
to  protect  me ;  and  when  I  ask  you  a  question 
which  concerns  one  who  was  dear  to  me  above 


154 


all  in  this  world,  and  which  it  would  cost  you 
nothing  to  answer,  you  talk  about  your  price. 
If  I  had  thought  you  a  man  of  '  honor,'  such  as 
many  wc  have  in  this  countrj'^,  I  should  not  have 
asked  you,  but  I  thought  not  of  you  in  that 
way." 

I  know  not  why — for  w^hat  was  this  girl  to 
me  ? — but  when  she  spoke  of  one  dear  to  her 
above  all  others,  my  blood  seemed  to  turn  sour. 
Eead  me  this  riddle  if  ye  can,  ye  wise,  for  it 
passed  my  understanding. 

"  AVhen  you  speak,"  said  I,  "  of  one  who  was 
dear  to  you,  mean  you  him  to  whom  my  Lord  of 
Arran  W' ould  marry  you  ?" 

"  What !  the  man  you  killed  this  afternoon ! 
Assuredly  not." 

"  That  man !  was  he  to  be  your  husband  ?  I 
knew  it  not,  but  now  I  begin  to  understand.  Nor 
knew  I  that  he  was  dead," 

"  I  cannot  hope  he  is  not.  As  you  might  ex- 
pect, they  would  marry  me  to  a  Stewart  if  they 
could.  But  I  had  a  right  to  expect  that  they 
would  at  least  choose  a  man  for  me,  and  not 
a  mean,  selfish,  conceited  coxcomb.  God  be 
thanked,  there  is  a  reservation  in  the  gift  of  my 
marriage,  and  they  shall  marry  me  only  where 
I  please.  But  if  you  must  know,  I  spoke  not  of 
a  lover  or  a  husband,  but  of  my  father,  who  was 


155 


dearer  to  me  than  all  other  men.  The  ballad 
you  sang-  is  his  ballad,  and  lilack  Onviot  was  his 
horse." 

At  this  I  felt  my  courage  begin  somewhat  to 
abate.  But  I  asked  myself — was  this  true  ?  And 
if  she  believed  it,  might  she  not  be  mistaken  { 
Had  not  all  nations  under  the  sun,  whether  Par- 
thians,  Medes,  or  EUimites,  or  the  dwellers  in 
Mesopotamia,  in  Pontus  and  Asia,  long  ago  set- 
tled that  men  should  give  no  credit  to  the  tales 
of  women  ?  Well,  I  had  heard  many  tales  from 
men  which  were  villanous  lies,  and  I  had  known 
some  women's  tales  which  proved  to  be  true,  so 
that  the  rule  of  nations  held  not  always.  It  was 
a  hard  thing  to  be  churlish  to  this  girl ;  for  the 
mixture  of  entreaty  and  defiance  in  her  was 
scarce  not  to  be  admired,  and  in  truth  she  had 
touched  me  where  I  was  most  open  to  a  wound. 
To  yield  would  be  to  give  up  the  weapon  by 
"which  I  hoped  to  win  the  jewel.  But  then  to 
show  myself  a  scurvy  fellow — above  all,  to  Jean 
Uchiltrie — there,  it  could  not  be  done  by  me. 
And  thrusting  from  me  all  thought  of  what  I 
might  lose  by  it,  I  said  to  myself  I  would  sur- 
render ;  but  still  it  should  be  upon  terms,  for  the 
mercantile  instinct  was  strong  within  me, 

"Think  not.  Mistress  Jean,"  I  said  at  length, 
"  that  you  have  not  moved  me.    But  you  may  be 


156 


mistaken.  Others  have  been  known  to  sing  that 
ballad,  I  trow,  and  one  horse  is  sometimes  not 
unlike  another." 

"  The  horse  knew  me." 

"  Well,  so  be  it ;  it  is  like  he  did.  I  would 
fain  barter  with  you  still,  but  I  cannot  do  it. 
You  think  it  costs  me  nothing  to  tell  you  what 
you  ask.  It  may  cost  me  everything,  and  in 
sooth  I  think  not  I  would  do  it  for  any  other 
woman." 

"Ah!  was  I  not  right — did  I  not  know  you? 
I  have  never  indeed  doubted  you  in  my  heart ; 
never  since — but  I  scarce  can  bear  to  see  you 
laughing  and  jesting  and  plotting  with  the  ogress 
who  watches  over  me,  and  every  hour  of  the 
day  studies  to  wound  and  pain  me." 

"  You  know  something,  but  you  may  not  know 
that  I  carry  my  life  in  my  hand  in  this  castle ; 
and,  surely,  if  a  man  does  no  worse,  he  may 
laugh  and  jest  with  the  devil  in  defence  of  his 
life.  As  to  your  questions,  the  horse  I  bought 
in  the  town  of  Berwick  two  days  before  I  came 
hither.  Buying  it  in  Berwick,  I  know  it  must 
have  come  from  Scotland,  because  while  an  Eng- 
lishman will  always  sell  a  horse  honestly  come 
by  to  a  Scot,  from  whom  he  gets  a  better  price, 
yet  he  is  not  likely  to  sell  in  Berwick  a  horse 
stolen  in  England.     The  seller  said  that  it  came 


157 


to  him  from  Cockburnspath,  and  I  make  no 
doubt  that  it  was  stolen  in  Scotland  and  taken 
across  the  English  lines  to  be  sold. 

"  As  for  the  ballad,  I  must  tell  you  that,  before 
landing  at  Berwick,  I  tried  to  land  at  the  Fast- 
castle,  and  when  half-way  up  the  steps  leading 
to  the  keep  I  heard  some  one  sing  the  verse  3'ou 
asked  about.  AVhose  was  the  voice,  or  from 
where  it  came,  I  could  not  tell.  I  like  not  to  raise 
hopes  in  your  mind  which  may  be  disappointed, 
but  I  may  tell  you  that  Cockburnspath  is  but  a 
few  miles  from  Fastcastle.  Of  course,  that  may 
be  but  a  coincidence.  But  believe  me,  and  I 
speak  in  all  seriousness,  you  can  never  find  the 
truth  of  this  sad  story  until  an  end  is  made  with 
James  Stewart,  callit  the  Earl  of  Arran,  and  if 
you  could  say  anything  about  the  chain — " 

"I  can  tell  you  nothingy'  she  said  again,  in  a 
low  voice ;  "  it  may  seem  ungracious,  but  I  can- 
not. If  you  knew  you  would  know  I  cannot. 
But  you  hold  me  grateful  from  my  heart  for  all 
time,  and  there  is  my  hand  in  token  thereof. 
And  now,  fare  thee  well,  Andrew  Eviot,  for  we 
shall  be  parted  ere  many  days ;  but  we  shall 
meet  again,  though  not  yet  awhile.  Well  I  know 
we  shall  meet  again.  And  if  thou  art  ever  in 
sorrow  or  sickness,  or  poor  and  friendless,  think 
that  there  is  one  who  will  have  thee  always  in 


158 


her  thoughts,  for  thou  hast  had  mercy  on  the 
fatherless." 

She  went  before  I  could  speak  in  ans^yer,  and 
— well,  had  I  my  reward  ? 

There  are  many  who,  reading  this,  would  say 
I  chose  the  better  part ;  or,  seeing  the  like  at  the 
playhouse,  would  be  the  first  to  applaud.  And 
yet  these  same,  being  perhaps  of  the  most  de- 
bauched, when  they  came  to  the  practice  of 
daily  life,  would  flout  me  for  a  fool.  And  the 
world — it  is  a  cold,  hard  world — would  say  of 
one  who  held  to  his  own,  without  pity  for  the 
weak  and  helpless,  and  thereby  gained  distinc- 
tion, that  he  was  a  wise  and  capable  man ;  but 
of  him  who  yielded  that  he  was  weak  and 
threw  away  his  chances,  and  Avas  unfit  for  af- 
fairs. 

But  I  know  not.  I  who  write  this  am  a  man 
of  many  sins  and  transgressions,  for  the  remis- 
sion of  which  I  look,  not  to  man,  but  to  an  all- 
merciful  God.  But  I  have  ever  hoped  that, 
when  the  great  book  of  Time  is  opened,  there 
will  be  found  written  therein  the  few  acts  of 
kindness  God  has  permitted  me  to  do,  to  my 
own  loss  and  prejudice.  I  look  not  tliat  they 
should  be  counted  for  righteousness,  but  that  it 
may  be  thought  in  mercy  that  I  caught  a  few 
rays  of  light  from  the  Great  Example.     For  did 


loO 


not  He,  who  bad  not  where  to  lay  His  head,  go 
about  doing  good  ? 

There  is  one  who  has  for  his  motto,  "  Thou 
shalt  want  ere  I  want,''  and  who  lias  risen  to 
great  place  in  these  days.  He  pacified  the  Bor- 
ders, besieging  and  burning  men's  homes  over 
their  heads  without  form  or  pretence  of  trial, 
and  cutting  down  those  who  attempted  to  es- 
cape. I  know  not  whether  in  all  things  he  be 
true  to  his  motto  ;  but  if  so,  he  has  need,  in 
truth,  to  be  a  godly  man  in  his  walk  and  con- 
versation. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

I  SUPPOSE  all  men  have  a  soft  place  in  them, 
although,  like  the  spring  of  a  secret  drawer,  it  is 
not  easily  found.  This  girl  had  hit  upon  the  soft 
place  about  me,  and  for  some  time  after  she  had 
gone  I  could  scarce  recover  my  balance.  I  could 
see  now  how  miserable  and  cheerless  her  life  was 
rendered  by  those  who  professed  to  protect  her ; 
and,  although  she  was  styled  an  heiress,  I  knew 
too  well  that  her  property  would  be  practically 
confiscated  by  the  man  whom  they  forced  her 
to  marry. 

I  could  see  also  with  some  clearness  the  truth 
about  her  father's  disappearance.  He  had  been 
hurried,  along  with  his  horse,  probably  under 
cloud  of  night,  across  the  water  at  the  Queens- 
ferry,  and  before  the  sun  rose  again  he  was  with- 
in the  walls  of  Fastcastle.  The  place  had  an  evil 
name,  but  only  those  who  had  an  intimate  ac- 
quaintance with  it  knew  the  story  of  its  secret 
dungeons.  There  was,  however,  a  cavern  on  the 
sea-level  immediately  below  the  keep,  and  it  was 
generally  believed  that  there  were  various  cham- 


161 


bers  in  the  rock  which  supplied  a  communication 
between  the  cavern  and  the  castle.  It  Avas  pos- 
sible that  the  song  I  heard  came  from  one  of 
those  chambers,  and  if  so  the  impression  made 
on  me  of  a  voice  coming  from  a  distance  was 
explained.  As  for  the  horse,  it  was  probably 
stolen,  or  sent  purposely  for  sale  to  Berwick,  that 
it  might  not  give  a  clew  to  the  fate  of  its  former 
master. 

The  coincidence  was  singularly  striking,  and 
would  have  justified  an  appeal  to  any  ordinary 
monarch.  But  my  native  Prince  had  his  irons 
in  many  strange  fires,  and  he  who  hit  his  min- 
ions ran  the  risk  of  striking  the  Prince  himself. 
George  Uchiltrie,  moreover,  had  got  into  trouble 
about  the  secret  hoards  of  the  Kegent  Morton, 
and  the  mere  mention  of  a  secret  hoard  kindled 
the  imagination  of  this  King  to  such  a  degree 
that  he  lost  his  common-sense,  of  which  as  a  rule 
he  had  no  small  share.  On  the  other  hand,  though 
he  affected  not  women,  he  could  not  endure  that 
defenceless  women  should  be  harshly  treated,  and 
this  weakness  in  his  nature  was  so  strong  that 
many  designing  creatures  took  an  unjust  advan- 
tage of  it. 

As  for  myself,  my  position  Avas  critical  and 
my  work  but  half  done.  My  endeavors  had 
not  been  fruitless.     I  knew  that  my  Lady  had 


162 


not  recovered  the  jewel ;  and  while  I  felt  certain 
that  Jean  Uchiltrie  could  tell  me  where  it  was, 
I  was  equally  certain  that  she  would  not  speak, 
and  I  had  no  clew  to  her  motive.  I  was  to  leave 
the  puzzle  unsolved,  for  I  could  not  now  doubt 
that  Berald  Stewart's  visit  and  insolence  were 
meant  as  a  declaration  of  war  by  my  Lord  and 
Lady  Arran.  His  signal  failure  was  likely  to 
double  their  exasperation,  for  knowing  his  skill 
of  fence  they  had  not  doubted  that  he  would 
give  a  good  account  of  me.  And  this  is  why  I 
was  sorry  I  liad  not  met  the  Laird  of  Gautrie  at 
St.  Andrews,  for  if  I  had  Berald  Stewart  had 
never  visited  Ruthven  Castle.  Clearly  I  must  go 
from  this  sooner  or  later,  only  I  was  unwilling 
to  be  driven  out  of  the  place  without  some  as- 
surance that  my  danger  was  actual.  So  I  de- 
spatched John  Sloan  that  night  to  Falkland  with 
a  letter  containing  a  full  account  of  the  affair 
with  Berald  Stewart.  This  letter  was  directed 
to  one  who  was  even  better  able  than  I  to  judge 
the  meaning  of  these  events,  but  I  grudge  to 
mention  his  name. 

The  following  morning,  as  I  was  pondering 
these  matters  in  the  garden,  my  Lady  came  to 
me  and  said  she  would  speak  with  me. 

"  Come  hither,"  said  she,  "  to  yonder  beech- 
tree,  where  we  can  talk  freely."     I  had  rather  it 


163 


liad  been  anywhere  else.  It  seemed  strange,  and 
I  liked  it  not  that  I  should  be  talking  with  this 
woman  on  the  spot  where  I  spoke  with  Jean  the 
night  before,  but  I  could  not  mend  it.  Had  she 
chosen,  the  place  because  she  knew  of  my  meet- 
ing with  my  Lord's  ward  ? 

"  Andrew,"  she  said,  when  we  were  under  the 
tree,  "  you  have  done  a  foolish  thing.''' 

"  What  have  I  done,  madame  ?" 

"  How  could  you  go  and  quarrel  with  Berald 
Stewart  V 

"  My  Lord  of  Both  well— " 

"  Hush,  hush !  don't  mention  his  name.  None 
knew  that  he  was  here.  Above  all,  don't  speak 
of  him  to  his  Highness  if  you  do  not  wish  to  in- 
jure him."  I  took  care  not  to  tell  her  that  my 
Lord  had  probably  written  ere  this  to  the  King. 

"  My  Lady,"  said  I,  "  I  had  no  choice  in  the 
matter.  Berald  Stewart  sought  me  out  here, 
and  fastened  a  quarrel  upon  me  which  I  could 
not  without  disgrace  avoid." 

"I  know,  I  know.  He  is  a  fool  and  you  are 
a  man,  and  that's  the  whole  of  it.  But  you 
might  have  kept  out  of  the  way.  You  know  not 
what  I  have  done  for  you.  His  Highness  took 
you  in  suspicion  when  you  came  to  Edinburgh, 
and  sent  you  here.  That  should  have  made  you 
more  cautious.     You  well  know  that  you  have 


164 


enemies  anxious  to  do  an  ill  turn  to  a  man  who 
is  unpopular  at  Court,  and  I  have  stood  between 
you  and  them.  But  for  me  you  would  have  had 
the  Sheriff  of  the  county  here  about  that  affair 
at  the  Tolbooth  of  Perth." 

"  He  would  have  got  a  warm  reception,  I  as- 
sure you." 

"  And  then  you  do  this  thing,  which  will  cause 
you  endless  trouble.  The  King  has  no  sympathy 
with  such  folly,  and  I  know  not  what  more  I 
can  do  for  you." 

I  thought  it  wiser  not  to  answer  this.  I  would 
not  tell  her  what  she  either  did  not,  or  pretended 
not,  to  know.  And  I  knew  not  how  much  truth 
there  was  in  what  this  strange  woman  said. 

"  Andrew,"  she  continued,  "  I  have  always 
liked  you — I  don't  like  many  people  besides  my- 
self— and  I  thought  I  should  have  you  always 
with  us.  But  even  with  that  wretched  girl  you 
have  given  me  no  help.  If  you  have  learned 
anything  you  have  not  told  me." 

This  speech  rather  jarred  upon  me,  for  it  im- 
plied that  I  had  promised  to  act  as  a  spy  on 
Jean  Uchiltrie,  and,  moreover,  that  I  had  kept 
my  information  to  myself  and  been  false  to 
both  sides.  I  determined  to  put  this  right  at 
once. 

"My  Lady  Arran,"  said  I,  "I  think  you  mis- 


1C5 


apprehend.  I  promised  that,  if  you  gave  me  the 
opportunity  of  judging,  I  would  tell  you  what  I 
thought  of  Mistress  Jean,  and  I  now  tell  you 
that  I  think  her  an  honest,  simple-minded  girl. 
But  as  for  the  jewel  you  spoke  of,  though  I  took 
not  in  hand  to  report  upon  that  matter,  she  has 
told  me  nothino",  and  that  I  can  say  without 
harm." 

"  Have  you  asked  her  about  it  ?" 

"  I  have." 

"Have  you  mentioned  the  jewel  b\^  name  to 
her?" 

"  I  have." 

"And  what  said  she?" 

"  She  said  nothing,  but  made  as  if  she  under- 
stood me  not." 

"  I  mind  it  weel.  It  was  round  yon  mulberry- 
bush  that  he  came — I  was  but  a  bairn  at  the 
time — and  said,  '  Better  bairns  greet  than  bearded 
men.'  The  auld  carle !  I'm  riglit  glad  he  is  not 
here  now,  nor  like  to  be.  Did  ye  say  he  would 
come  back,  man  ?  God  forbid !  Na,  na ;  the 
Maister  of  Glamis  is  weel  enough  Avhere  he  is, 
and  there  he'll  bide  maybe  until  God  be  pleased 
to  call  us  in  succession  to  our  dearest  cousin  of 
England,  when  he  will  have  to  seek  other  lodging; 
for  there  will  be  no  coming  back  here  in  our 
time.     The  day  of  enterprises  is  over." 


166 


This  speech  came  from  behind  the  mulberry- 
bush  which  hid  us  from  the  speaker,  and  to  my 
great  rehef  put  an  end  to  my  converse  with  my 
Lady.  It  was  the  custom  of  my  master,  the 
King — an  innocent  custom,  but  embarrassing  to 
some  of  his  subjects — to  visit  them  in  an  uncere- 
monious way  without  due  warning.  A  messen- 
ger had,  indeed,  been  sent  on  half  an  hour  in 
advance ;  but  as  no  one  knew  where  the  Coun- 
tess was,  the  message  had  not  been  delivered  to 
her.  In  addition  to  the  numerous  company 
which  followed  tlie  King,  many  of  the  neighbor- 
ing barons  came  to  pay  their  respects  to  his 
Highness ;  and  how  food  was  found  for  them  all 
I  know  not,  but  I  suppose  the  escheat  of  my 
Lord  of  Gowrie  bore  the  expense. 

His  Highness  caught  sight  of  my  Lady  and 
myself  as  w^e  rounded  the  mulberry-bush  to  meet 
him.  He  was  attired  in  a  riding-coat  of  scarlet, 
he  had  a  high  crowned  hat  with  a  large  feather 
on  his  head,  and  carried  a  hawk-glove  on  his 
hand. 

"  After  sair  searching,  madame,"  he  cried,  "  we 
have  found  ye ;  but  although  we  took  your  castle 
by  assault  before  ye  knew  we  were  at  the  gate, 
w^e  see  ye  are  not  without  j)rotection.  For  all 
men  ken  that  Captain  Eviot  is  ready  enough 
w^ith  his  sword." 


Wi 


The  cynicism  of  this  speech  was  readily  caught 
by  those  in  attendance,  and  if  I  had  not  gathered 
it  from  the  sober  manner  in  which  the  King 
acknowledged  my  obeisance,  the  hard  looks  of 
those  about  him  would  have  told  me  but  plainly 
enough  that  I  was  supposed  to  be  in  disgrace.  Of 
course  it  was  the  affair  with  Berald  Stewart. 

"But  in  sooth,  madame,"  he  continued,  "we 
have  come  hither  purposing  to  dine  with  you, 
]:)artly  for  our  pleasure  and  partly  that  we  might 
converse  with  the  loon  Grossok,  w'ho,  as  we  are 
informed,  liveth  in  this  castle  and  hath  some 
knowledge  of  the  abominable  blasphemies  which 
Sathan  is  permitted  to  put  forth  at  this  time  in 
the  kirk-yard  of  Glendevon." 

A  slight  color  came  into  my  Lady's  face  at  the 
mention  of  Grossok's  name.  And  well  it  might, 
for  Grossok  could  tell  more  of  my  Lady's  deal- 
ings than  was  convenient,  and  there  was  no  as- 
surance of  what  he  might  say  when  under  the 
King's  influence.  There  is  a  certain  toleration 
of  witchcraft  and  divination  in  this  country,  but 
at  times  the  Scots  are  carried  away  by  a  deluge 
of  fanaticism,  and  persons  of  the  highest  rank 
(of  whom  my  Lady  Glaniis  is  the  example  most 
notorious)  are  sent  to  the  stake.  In  many  cases 
it  hath  been  observed  that  the  persons  put  to 
death  for  witchcraft  are  obnoxious  in  regard  of 


168 


their  political  conduct,  but  to  the  victims  it  mat- 
ters not  whether  they  are  executed  for  political 
reasons  or  for  witchcraft. 

"Grossok'^"  said  my  Lady.  "Yes,  indeed 
there  is  one  named  M'Kuskan  Grossok,  who 
is  my  secretary ;  but  inasmuch  as  he  is  a 
most  devout  man,  I  should  doubt  his  having 
any  knowledge  of  those  who  deal  with  Sa- 
than." 

"  Weel,  weel,  we  trust  not,  but  we  Avould  have 
speech  with  him  presently.  For  the  moment 
there  is  a  gentleman  here  in  whose  ear  we 
would  say  a  word  in  season,  and  we  would  have 
the  rest  of  ye  interrupt  us  not  until  we  have  oc- 
casion to  summon  ye."  So,  beckoning  to  me,  he 
led  the  way  to  the  middle  of  the  bowling-green, 
where,  turning  sharply  round,  he  laid  his  hand 
familiarly  upon  my  arm,  a  gesture  which  must 
have  been  well  seen  by  those  who  witnessed  the 
asperity  of  his  manner  to  me  a  few  moments  be- 
fore. 

I  thought,  as  doubtless  the  on -lookers  also 
thought,  that  the  affair  with  Berald  Stewart 
was  the  subject  of  this  word  in  my  ear.  But 
once  out  of  ear-shot  the  King  seemed  to  forget 
that  he  was  within  sight  of  his  courtiers. 

"  Have  ye  come  ony  speed,  man  ?"  he  said, 
eagerly. 


169 


"  Does  your  Highness  mean  in  respect  of  the 
jewel «" 

"Aye,  what  else  would  I  be  speiring  at  ye 
for  ? — the  bit  Papist  chain  we  spoke  of  when  ye 
were  at  St.  Andrews." 

"  "Well,  sir,  I  cannot  tell  you  where  it  is,  but 
I  can  tell  you  where  it  is  not." 

"  That's  always  something ;  but  mean  you  that 
yon  besom  of  a  Countess  hasna  got  it  ?" 

"  That  is  Avhat  I  mean." 

"  And  how  may  3'ou  know  that  ?" 

"  I  know  it  from  the  woman's  feverish  anxiety 
to  regain  the  jewel,  and  her  attempts  to  bribe 
me  to  help  her  in  getting  it." 

"That's  a  good  telling,  anyhow,"  said  the 
King,  his  face  brightening ;  "  but  say  you  that 
she  spoke  openly  of  it  to  you,  calling  it  the  X 
Jewel  T 

"  She  did ;  but  not  knowing  how  far  I  Avas  in- 
formed, threw  doubts  upon  the  character  of  the 
chain." 

"  "Were  ye  discreet,  man,  to  let  on  that  ye  had 
ever  heard  tell  of  the  chain  V 

"  It  was  known  at  St.  Andrews,  sir,  that  Mr. 
Andrew  Melvill  had  charged  you  with  having 
the  chain,  and  I  thought  well  not  to  deny  hav- 
ing: heard  somethino;  of  the  matter." 

"  That  all  comes  of  our  good-nature,  which  is 


170 


ower  good  for  some  folk.  But  what  of  the  lass, 
Captain  Andrew  ?  It  is  ill  work  guessing ;  but 
our  experience,  wiiich  is  not  small  in  such  mat- 
ters, tells  us  that,  if  the  thief  was  not  the  aulder 
besom,  it  was  the  lassie  Jean." 

"  So  I  thougiit,  sir ;  but  she  will  not  speak. 
She  claimed  the  chain  of  calcedonies,  and  I  have 
told  her  that  she  put  the  jewel  chain  round  my 
neck  with  her  own  hands ;  but  to  that,  as  well 
as  to  all  else  I  said,  she  made  as  if  she  under- 
stood me  not.  Your  Majesty  may  be  able  to 
move  her,  but  sure  am  I  that  nobody  else  will." 

"  Weel,"  said  the  King,  "  w^e  will  have  speech 
with  her  upon  this  matter  after  our  dinner.  But 
I  am  minded  to  mention  to  ye  what  I  was  near 
forgetting.  They  have  made  a  stir  to  disgrace 
you,  sir,  in  regard  to  your  affair  with  Berald 
Stewart.  We  like  not  that  pestilent  French  hu- 
mor, and  if  ye  had  been  to  blame  we  should  not 
have  spared  ye ;  but  we  know  the  whole  truth 
of  the  matter,  and  are  not  sorry  to  know  that 
there  are  some  men  yet  in  our  kingdom.  We 
had  a  letter  from  my  Lord  of  Both  well  about  ye, 
and  though  the  poor  body  hath  neither  mind  nor 
manners,  he  is  an  honest  man  in  suchlike  matters. 
So  ye  can  be  at  rest  upon  that  point." 

The  company  the  King  brought  with  him  was 
not  only  numerous,  for  it  included  most  of  the 


171 


men  then  in  favor  at  the  Court ;  and  after  they 
had  dined  the  quiet  garden  saw  a  gayer  scene 
than  it  was  accustomed  to.  Men  in  varied  col- 
ors of  satin  and  silk  walked  over  the  grass  or 
stood  in  groups  and  talked.  Their  unusual  num- 
ber was  shortl}'^  explained,  for  the  elegant  young 
man  I  had  seen  in  the  King's  Chamber  at  St.  An- 
drews was  good  enough  to  make  the  matter  plain 
to  me.  But  while  he  spoke  his  demeanor  was 
so  \\crht  and  careless  that  none  without  hearins: 
would  have  guessed  what  he  was  saying. 

"Andrew,"  said  he,  "  will  you  stand  by  me,  if 
need  be?" 

"I  am  bound  to  stand  b}"  you,  whether  in  good 
report  or  evil  report." 

"  That  is  but  what  I  thought.  I  got  your  let- 
ter, and,  if  I  may  say  so,  I  think  you  may  safely 
stay  here  for  a  day  or  two,  until  you  hear  fur- 
ther from  me ;  I  can  think  of  no  other  place 
where  the  danger  ^vould  not  be  greater.  I  am 
told  that  they  have  made  up  their  minds  to  stick 
me  in  the  King's  presence,  if  need  be,  and  in  this 
garden  to-day.  But  as  I  have  word  of  the  time 
and  place  about  once  a  week  I  look  not  for  it 
now.  However,  I  wear  a  shirt  of  mail  under  my 
doublet,  and  my  friends  are  here  in  good  num- 
bers, as  also  are  those  of  my  Lord  of  Arran.  You 
see,  then,  how  the  matter  stands,  but  it  would 


173 


not  stay  there  long  but  for  that  woman  in  Eng- 
land. She  has  put  me  into  this ;  and  when  the 
time  is  ripe,  and  my  life  is  in  danger  day  and 
night,  she  will  not  go  on,  but  keeps  our  men  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Border." 

"  And  is  the  Captain  Eviot  one  of  the  Master 
of  Gray's  friends  ?"  said  a  voice  in  interruption 
of  us,  and  the  Earl  of  Arran  stood  by,  gazing  at 
us  with  his  head  in  the  air,  and  an  expression  of 
scorn  on  his  face  which  'would  have  provoked  me 
to  lauehter  but  that  I  knew  the  scorn  to  be 
deep. 

"  I  should  have  thought,"  said  the  other,  draw- 
ing himself  up  in  like  manner  with  great  dis- 
daining— and  I  noticed  that  his  right  hand  rested 
on  his  dagger — "that  any  man  in  Scotland,  even 
my  Lord  of  Arran,  might  speak  to  Captain  Eviot 
without  offence." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  Earl,  falling  into  proud 
terms,  "  let  him  incur  no  scath." 

"  If  he  does,"  was  the  retort,  "  it  will  be  from 
your  lordship,  and  not  from  the  Master  of 
Gray." 

Before  any  reply  could  be  made  to  this  plain 
speech  the  King  came  out  of  the  house,  and  a 
cry  of  "  To  horse !  to  horse !"  was  raised.  So 
that  in  no  great  time  the  whole  cavalcade  set 
forth  for  Falkland,  but  by  way  of  Glendevon, 


173 


while  special  orders  were  given  to  M'Kuskan 
Grossok  and  myself  to  attend  the  King  as  far  as 
the  kirk-3'^ard  in  the  glen.  A  number  of  the 
local  gentry,  also,  for  reasons  of  their  own,  set 
out  with  us,  being  minded,  in  particular,  to  see 
what  order  the  King  would  take  with  Grossok. 
And  a  gallant  sight  we  made  as  we  straggled  up 
Gleneagles,  in  which  there  is  a  stiff  incline,  with 
steep  hills  on  either  side,  and  the  bed  of  a  torrent, 
almost  dry  in  summer,  between  them. 

When  we  were  half  -  way  up  the  glen  I  was 
directed  to  ride  forward  and  speak  with  his 
Majesty. 

"  It  is  even  as  you  told  us,"  said  he ;  "  we  have 
failed  to  make  anything  with  the  lassie  Uchiltrie, 
and  we  have  taken  some  displeasure  thereat,  but 
all  to  no  purpose.  It  is  not  the  first  time  we 
have  had  ado  with  her  on  matters  of  importance, 
though  my  Lord  of  Arran  and  his  lady  know  it 
not,  and  heretofore  we  have  found  her  a  maist 
lo3'al  and  understanding  subject.  I  am  marvel- 
lous sorry  she  should  question  the  right  of  her 
Prince  to  her  most  inmost  thoughts.  But  she 
told  me,  man,  a  strange  tale  about  a  horse  and  a 
ballad.    Is  that  so  ?" 

"  The  tale  is  true,  sir,  and  this  is  the  horse 
which  I  am  now  riding." 

"  And  a  bonny  beast  it  is — fit  for  a  prince." 


174 


"  It  is  at  your  disposal,  sir,  if  you  would  deign 
to—" 

"Xa,  na;  Ave  meant  not  that.  We  were 
thinking  whether  we  have  not  with  us  one  who 
was  a  friend  of  the  poor  man,  and  would  ken  his 
horse ;  and  straunge  it  is  I  cannot  come  at  one. 
And  yet  methinks  the  Laird  of  Duncrub,  who  is 
with  us,  might  know." 

The  Laird  of  Duncrub  was  therefore  sum- 
moned, and  to  him  the  King  said  : 

"  Duncrub,  yell  mind  Geordie  Uchiltrie,  who 
was  drowned  in  a  bog,  or  fell  down  a  coil-pit,  or 
went  some  other  gate  of  that  sort  V 

"I  mind  him  well,  sir;  but  I  think  not  that 
he  was  drowned  in  a  bog." 

"  What  think  ye  came  to  him,  then  ?" 

"  I  think  he  was  kidnapped." 

"  And  who  would  kidnap  him,  man  ?"  said  the 
King,  sharply. 

"  I  cannot  say,  sir,  because  I  do  not  know  ; 
but  none  the  less  I  think  he  was  kidnapped." 

"  Weel,if  ye  kenned  the  man,  ye  would  ken  his 
horse,  for  they  tell  me  it  was  gey  kenspeckle." 

"  I  mind  the  horse  well.  The  gentleman  on 
the  other  side  of  your  Highness  is  riding  it  at 
this  moment." 

"  God's  death  !"  exclaimed  the  King ;  "  this  is 
passing  straunge." 


175 


"  I  had  a  mind,  sir,  to  speak  to  the  gentleman 
about  it ;  but  I  was  loath  to  dip  in  a  matter 
which  was  no  concern  of  mine.  There  are  oth- 
ers in  this  country  who  have  spoken  of  it  to  mc. 
Peter  Pardovine,  of  the  Knowe,  was  for  making 
a  stir,  and  the  miller  at  Dunning,  and  John 
Bonar,  in  the  Kirkton  of  Mailer,  came  to  me  with 
the  same  story.  But  I  told  them  to  try  and  be- 
lieve that  they  had  never  seen  the  horse,  or  they 
would  come  by  the  worse.  For  a  time  Captain 
Eviot  suffered  some  prejudice  in  the  minds  of 
the  country-folk  on  account  of  this  horse;  but 
since  he  broke  out  of  the  Tolbooth  of  Perth 
and  fought  Berald  Stewart  at  Ruthven  they  will 
believe  no  evil  of  him." 

"  There  is  no  evil  in  him,  and  ye  may  tell 
them  that  I  said  so.  But,  Duncrub,  both  you 
and  he  must  be  secret  in  this  matter.  We  will 
smell  out  the  truth  of  it  ourselves ;  and  it  is  bet- 
ter so,  for  the  King  has  many  sources  of  knowl- 
edge which  other  men  know  nothing  of.  And, 
indeed,  we  think  that  Heaven  has  specially  en- 
dowed us  with  gifts  which  enable  us  to  unravel 
such  mysteries.  But  at  one  thing  we  are  sorely 
grieved.  There  is  no  house  more  honorable  in 
this  land  than  the  auld  house  of  Duncrub  ;  there 
is  none  who  has  been  a  more  loyal  subject  and 
faithful  friend  to  us  than  the  Laird  of  Duncrub ; 


176 


and  yet  our  affairs  are  so  mishandled  that  he  is 
afraid  to  ask  for  justice.  Our  Council  is  rotten 
enough  to  ruin  the  whole  realm." 

"I  would  to  God  your  Highness  would  alter 
it,"  was  the  blunt  repl}'',  "  and  that  is  the  wish 
of  most  of  your  subjects." 

"  It's  easy  wishing,"  grumbled  the  King ;  "  but, 
body  o'  me,  man,  who  is  to  come  in  their  jDlace  ?" 


CHAPTER  XV 

Beixg  no^v  at  the  bead  of  Gleneagles,  where 
the  water  parts,  to  go  one-half  to  the  river  Tay, 
and  the  other  half  to  the  Forth,  we  turned  into 
Glendevon,  than  which  I  know  no  place  in  our 
country  more  gentle  of  aspect.  Nowhere  have 
the  green  hills,  with  their  patches  of  heather, 
more  grace  of  form.  Down  the  glen  runs  a  clear 
stream  over  a  pebbly  bed,  through  clumps  of 
natural  poplar,  oak,  and  mountain-ash  —  to  the 
eye  a  place  little  likely  for  the  devices  of  the 
foul  Fiend.  Moreover,  it  lies  apart  from  the 
highways  of  men,  and  withal  so  unpeopled  that 
when  all  the  homes  in  the  small  glens  branching 
off  it  are  told  they  would  scarce  furnish  a  con- 
gregation of  twoscore  for  the  minister's  preach- 
ing. "What  place  is  this  for  the  assembling  of 
hell-dogs  ? 

At  the  kirk,  which  is  some  distance  down  tlie 
glen,  a  halt  was  called,  and  the  part}',  having 
dismounted,  repaired  to  the  kirk-yard.  It  was 
observed  that  his  Highness  on  entering  sniffed 
the  air,  coughed  ])ortentously,  and  frowned  ;  but 


178 


having  called  for  bis  afternoon  and  drunk  it,  he 
sent  for  the  irons  of  the  kirk  door,  and  without 
more  ado  led  the  way  inside.  As  many  as  could 
find  space  followed  him ;  but  their  admission  was 
no  simple  matter,  for  the  capacity  of  the  build- 
ing Avas  small,  and  the  noblemen  and  gentlemen 
in  the  King's  company  stood  stiffly  upon  their 
precedence. 

There  was  much  admiration  when  his  High- 
ness was  seen  to  enter  and  take  his  seat  in  the 
pulpit — a  thing  unlooked  for,  and  not  performed 
without  some  protest  on  the  part  of  the  minister. 
Mr.  James  Pyott,  having  been  duly  warned  by 
the  King  of  his  intended  visit,  was  present,  and 
remonstrated  as  far  as  he  might ;  and  although 
I  was  too  far  distant  to  hear  what  was  said,  I 
could  see  that  some  warm  passages  were  ex- 
changed between  him  and  the  King.  I  believe 
that  the  latter,  while  admitting  his  duty  to 
sit  among  the  congregation  during  preaching, 
prayer,  or  praise,  contended  that  he  had  a  right, 
as  head  of  the  Kirk,  to  occupy  the  pulpit  when 
investigating  a  matter  proper  to  his  function. 
Not  much  stir  was  made  about  this  intrusion  at 
the  time,  because  the  firebrands  of  the  Kirk  were 
for  the  most  part  among  the  Peregrine  Ministers 
in  England.  But  Mr.  Craig,  the  King's  minister, 
preaching  the  following  Sabbath,  sharply  admon- 


179 


ished  his  Highness  in  respect  of  the  same,  declar- 
ing that  it  sraelled  of  Popery,  and  was  prompted 
by  his  godless  and  villanous  Council.  At  the 
moment,  however,  little  heed  was  given  to  what 
Mr.  Craig  said,  although  my  Lord  of  Arran  did 
threaten  him  with  his  dagger  when  he  spoke 
these  words. 

"How  comes  it,  Mr.  James,"  cried  the  King 
from  his  seat,  "  that  ye  have  not  cleared  the  auld 
rotten  Papistry  out  of  this  house  of  God  i  Yon- 
der is  a  stone  font — we  like  not  the  look  of  it ; 
and  here  are  some  straunge  letters  carved  on  the 
back  of  an  oaken  chair.  And  if  our  eyes  deceive 
us  not,  we  can  perceive  the  figure  of  some  sanct 
rudely  done  in  relief  and  let  into  the  eastern  end 
of  the  kirk.  Maybe  it  will  be  meant  for  the 
blessed  Servanus ;  the  poor  bodie  hath  a  brig 
named  after  him  in  this  glen.  It  was  even  he, 
if  we  mistake  not,  who  cured  a  chiel  Avho  had 
miskenned  his  appetite  by  putting  a  dirty  tliurab 
down  his  throat.  Moreover,  we  can  see  mony 
odds  and  ends  of  other  Popish  baggage  brushed 
away  into  the  corner  yonder. 

"  It  is  mair  nor  twent}'-  years,"  he  continued, 
"  since  their  filthy  religion  was  swept  out  of 
Scotland,  but  its  roots  are  not  dead  in  this  glen, 
as  it  seems." 

"I   knew    not,  sir,"  said   the   minister,  being 


180 


somewhat  confused,  "that  these  were  emblems 
of  sin.  And  I  think  not  that  my  flock  has  suf- 
fered from  their  presence  here,  for  no  one  has 
regarded  them." 

"  Daur  ye  to  tell  me,  sir,  that  your  flock  has 
not  suffered  ?"  cried  the  King,  growing  red  with 
indignation.  "  Sma'  wonder  that  this  is  weel 
kenned  to  be  the  maist  witch  -  ridden  place  in 
Scotland,  when  the  minister  hoards  these  -me- 
morials of  the  Man  of  Sin  in  the  kirk,  and  the 
haill  kirk-yard  smells  maist  damnably  of  fire  and 
brimstone.  Ye  will  not  tell  me,  sir,  that  ye 
have  not  heard  the  accounts  we  speak  of?" 

"  I  have  indeed  heard  them,  but  I  looked  upon 
them  as  idle  tales,  fabricated  by  auld  wives." 

"By  auld  witches,  mair  like.  Having  the 
cure  of  ma3^be  less  than  forty  souls,  have  ye 
ever  visited  your  kirk  at  the  appointed  time  to 
see  if  there  be  ony  truth  in  these  tales?" 

"  The  aj)pointed  time  V 

"  Aye,  the  witching  hour." 

"  No,  sir,  the  hour  is  midnight,  when  all  hon- 
est men  ought  to  be  abed." 

"And  very  good  law  for  slowbellies  and  coun- 
try parsons.  But  we  take  no  delight  in  being 
large ;  so  we  would  have  ye  hear  one  who  can 
maybe  tell  ye  mair  about  your  kirk-yard  than 
ye  ken  yourself.     Where  awa'  is  the  chiel  Gros- 


181 


sok?  Ah!  man,  arc  yo  there?  Is  it  Grossok 
they  ca'  ye  ?'' 

"  Maister  M'Kuskan  Grossok,  if  it  please  your 
IVIajesty." 

"Maister,  indeed!  And  which  of  our  Univer- 
sities made  ye  Maister  ?  But  I  neechia  ask,  for 
I  would  wager  my  crown  to  a  gray  groat  that  it 
was  St.  Andrews.  Ye  will  be  saying  next  that 
ye  are  a  minister." 

"Aye,  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  Your  Maj- 
esty is  right.     I  was  laureated  at  St.  Andrews." 

"What!"  screamed  the  King,  "a  minister  of 
the  Gospel !     Of  whose  gospel,  sir  ?" 

"  Of  the  Gospel  of  Christ." 

"  Mair  like  to  be  the  gospel  of  hell,"  muttered 
the  King,  regaining  his  composure.  "  Ye'll  ken, 
Maister  Grossok,  if  ye  were  educated  at  St.  An- 
drews, that  the  dcil  has  a  gospel  or  book  of  his 
ain.     Have  ye  ever  had  a  sight  of  iff 

"  I  know  it  not,  sir." 

"It  is  a  book,  they  tell  me — them  that  has 
seen  it— which  has  braw  pictures  of  men  and 
women  and  castles,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars, 
and  suchlike." 

"  I  may  have  seen  the  cards,  sir,  but  not  to 
handle  or  to  have  any  skill  in  them." 

"So  it  seems.  But  have  ye  skill  to  cast  a 
horoscope,  or  any  gift  of  divination,  by  which 


182 


ye  might  foretell  future  events,  or  maybe  speir 
where  stolen  gear  is,  as  it  might  be  jewels  or 
precious  stones  ?" 

The  man  looked  ill  at  ease,  for  the  King  be- 
gan to  press  him  so  close  that  he  could  scarce 
doubt  that  some  one  had  betrayed  him.  Pie 
glanced  at  my  Lord  of  Arran,  whose  counte- 
nance, however,  showed  nothing  but  extreme  in- 
difference. 

"  I  would  I  had  such  a  gift ;  it  might  be  use- 
ful to  your  Majesty  and  other  honest  folk,"  he 
replied,  at  last. 

"  Weel,"  said  the  King,  "  for  all  the  good  it 
has  done  us  it  seems  ye  have  it  not,  though  that 
gives  us  no  assurance  that  ye  have  not  tried  it. 
But  3'e  have  heard  that  this  place  is  given  up  at 
unlawfid  hours  to  witches  and  warlocks.  Ye'll 
no  deny  that  ye  ken  the  place.  Ye  have  been 
here  before?" 

"  Aye,  I  ken  the  place  weel  enough." 

"  Ye  have  been  here  at  night,  man.  What 
hour  was  it  ?" 

"  It  was  midnight." 

"Aye,"  said  the  King,  eagerl}^,  apparently 
much  interested,  "and  what  did  ye  see?" 

"  I  saw  nothing,  sir,  if  it  were  not  a  howlet  or 
twa  in  the  dark  trees." 

"  But  ye  ken  the  character  of  the  place  at 


183 


yon  hour?  "Was  there  nobody  here  but  your- 
self?" 

"  Nobody  but  myself  and  the  howlets." 

"  And  what  manner  of  man  did  ye  come  to 
see  ?    Ye  expected  to  see  somebody  ?" 

"  I  didna  ken  who  might  be  here.  I  came  to 
see  if  a'  tales  were  true." 

"  Weel,  if  ye  ken  the  place,  yc'll  have  seen  the 
big  trout  in  the  pool  yonder?" 

"  Aye,  I  saw  him  ance.  lie  was  lying  under 
a  stane,  with  his  heid  out  at  one  end  and  his 
tail  at  the  other ;  but  he  lookit  no  different  from 
ony  other  big  trout." 

"And  what  thought  ye — that  ho  was  going 
up  and  down  the  water  about  his  ain  business, 
or  that  he  was  possessed  by  some  evil  power  ?" 

"  I  thought  he  wasna  canny." 

"  What  made  ye  think  that  ?" 

"Weel,  there's  no  a  man  about  the  country-side 
who  hasna  tried  to  catch  the  creature,  and  I 
have  heard  that  the  minister,  who  angled  with 
the  best  of  them,  ance  hookit  it  as  he  supposed. 
But  it  first  dragged  him  into  the  water  and 
almost  drowned  him.  Then  the  muckle  beast 
loupit  out  as  it  would  have  bitten  him,  and  run- 
ning down  the  top  of  the  water  never  stopped 
until  it  came  to  the  mill  at  Downhill." 

"  Some   ministers,"   said   the   King,  gravely, 


184 


"  would  catch  men,  and  some  would  catch  rats. 
For  this  pastime,  we  have  not  as  yet  demeanit 
ourselves  to  it ;  but  from  what  other  folks  have 
told  us  we  see  nothing  in  this  to  signify  posses- 
sion by  any  infernal  power." 

"  Maybe  no,"  retorted  Grossok  ;  "  but  when 
the  minister  recovered  his  tackle  it  was  tied  in 
sic  knots  as  only  the  deil  himsel'  could  have 
fashioned.  And  Mr.  Pyott  didna  doubt  that  he 
had  had  ado  with  something  mair  than  earthly." 

Mr.  James  Pyott  grew  very  red  in  the  face 
while  this  tale  was  being  told  ;  but,  being  called 
upon,  he  could  not  deny  that  it  was  true. 

His  Highness  thereupon  made  some  speech  at 
large  upon  the  filthy  and  abominable  practice  of 
witchcraft,  which  was  most  damnable  in  a  man, 
seeing  that  rather  women,  and  especially  old 
women,  being  of  a  weaker  nature,  were  prone  to 
it.  He  shrewdly  suspected  that  Maister  Grossok 
(whom  he  styled  a  trout-spying,  kirk-yard  thief) 
knew  further  in  the  matter;  and  desired  that, 
until  he  should  be  better  informed,  the  diviner 
should  find  strong  caution  for  his  behavior. 
"Whereupon  the  Earl  of  Arran,  who  seemed  to 
be  disturbed  by  the  course  of  the  conversation, 
agreed  to  be  cautioner,  and  the  party  dissolved 
once  more  into  the  kirk-yard. 

There  were  some  godless  men  at  the  King's 


185 


Court  at  this  time  who  believed  neitlier  in  (tO(1 
nor  devil,  and  these,  when  their  master's  back 
was  turned,  spoke  of  this  scene  with  ridicule  and 
blaspliemous  laughter.  But  the  greater  portion 
of  those  present  believed  firmly  in  the  power  of 
the  fiend,  and  liked  not  the  matter  at  all. 

I  have  often  been  asked  in  later  years  what  I 
thought  of  ray  masters  course  on  this  occasion. 
For  myself,  I  believe  that  he  has  no  more  doubt 
than  I  have  of  the  power  of  the  enemy  of  man 
to  work  for  evil  through  perverted  men  and 
women.  And  I  verily  believe  that  he  looked 
upon  this  place  as  bewitched,  as  it  is  in  fact  at 
this  day.  But  even  at  his  early  age  he  was  a 
very  deep  man,  whose  mind  no  one  could  fathom. 
He  took  a  strange  delight  in  scenes,  some  of  them 
ludicrous,  which  m3^stified  those  who  were  about 
him.  And  I  think  that  he  had  a  twofold  purpose 
in  this  visit  to  Glendevon.  He  deeply  enjoyed  the 
solemn  perplexity  on  the  faces  of  the  men  about 
his  Court,  many  of  whom  he  knew  to  be  profligate 
blasphemers.  But  his  main  purpose  was  in  a 
circuitous  manner  to  bring  home  to  my  Lady 
Arran  and  Grossok  that  it  would  not  be  safe  for 
them  to  go  further  in  their  dealings  with  the  Evil 
One.  For  he  fully  believed  that  the  powers  of 
evil  might  be  invoked  by  human  agency  to  work 
ruin  to  mankind  and  to  himself  amono;  others. 


186 


Those  of  us  who  parted  here  from  his  High- 
ness rode  down  Gleneagies  that  night  a  goodly 
company ;  for  which  I  was  glad,  because  I  had 
not  forgotten  the  card  which  the  abominable 
Grossok  turned  up  the  night  I  looked  in  at  the 
window,  nor  the  rhyme  which  he  professed  to 
repeat  about  the  kirk-yard  of  Glendevon.  And 
when  we  rode  out  of  the  glen  into  the  lowland 
of  Strathearn  I  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief. 

When  we  had  ferried  the  Earn,  and  had  now 
no  great  distance  to  go,  a  little  crimson  light 
grew  up  into  the  sky  to  the  east ;  and,  as 
it  began  to  spread,  I  turned  to  Carryg,  and 
said : 

"  Surely,  David,  it  is  early  in  the  season  to  be 
burning  the  undergrowth." 

"  Yon's  no  undergrowth,  sir." 

"What  is  it,  then,  if  it  be  not  St.  Johnston, 
with  its  amiable  Tolbooth,  that  burns  ?" 

"It  will  be  buildings  of  some  sort,  but  no  St. 
Johnston,  which  is  farther  fra  us  by  twa  miles 
than  yon  fire." 

"Nothing  cheats  the  eye,  David,  more  than 
the  reflection  of  fire  in  the  sky.  Multiply  the 
distance  as  it  seems  to  your  eye  by  four,  and 
you  will  not  be  far  wrong." 

"  I  am  reckoning  that,  sir." 

"Then,  great  God!   man,  do  you  mean  that 


187 


that  is  the  castle  ?  Ride  up,  lads ;  for  the  love 
of  God,  ride !" 

Long  before  we  rode  into  Ruthven  the  trutli 
was  only  too  plain.  The  castle  was  on  fire.  On 
reaching  the  spot  we  found  much  people  col- 
lected, who,  for  the  most  part,  looked  on  with 
marvelling  e3"es.  The  western  wing  was  in 
flames  throughout  the  whole  of  its  lower  part; 
but  the  wind  setting  from  the  southeast,  the 
eastern  tower,  in  which  I  was  lodged,  was  un- 
touched, and  likely  to  remain  so.  The  efforts 
of  man,  therefore,  could  avail  but  little ;  so  the 
crowd  stood  by  while  the  castle  burned.  The 
upper  part  of  the  burning  building  was  not  yet 
affected,  but  the  flames  were  Avorking  steadily 
upward,  and  all  access  was  cut  off  from  below. 

I  marvelled  somewhat  when  I  perceived  my 
Lady  and  her  party  f idly  equipped  for  departure, 
her  horses  and  baggage  being  in  appearance  com- 
plete. She,  at  least,  had  taken  no  scath  by  the 
fire.  Making  bold  to  address  her,  T  asked  wheth- 
er all  had  escaped  from  the  castle,  to  which  she 
replied  "  Yea."  And  on  my  saying  that  I  saw 
not  Mistress  Jean  or  her  woman,  she  said  that 
they  were  safe,  but  in  a  manner  so  strange  and 
cold  that  I  felt  ill  at  ease. 

Whereupon  I  inquired  of  others  who  stood  by, 
and  finding  that  none  had  seen  or  had  any  knowl- 


188 


edge  of  Mistress  Jean's  escape,  I  ran  forthwith 
to  the  keep  in  which  I  was  lodged.    And  having 
entered  with  some  doubt  that  all  was  not  well, 
by  the  time  I  reached  the  parapet  I  was  sick  at 
heart  with  fear. 

Truly  it  marvelled  me  to  see  the  plank  thrown 
across  between  the  two  parapets,  but  it  gave  me 
some  relief ;  for  here,  at  the  worst,  was  a  bridge 
of  escape,  though  a  mere  lass  was  scarce  like  to 
have  the  head  to  cross  it. 

In  less  than  a  second  I  was  on  the  parapet  of 
the  burning  castle ;  and  remembering  the  mis- 
take I  had  made  the  last  time  I  was  there,  turned 
to  the  left,  and  ran  quickly  round  to  the  southern 
side.  Here,  finding  an  open  window,  I  stepped 
into  an  apartment,  from  which,  as  I  was  enter- 
ing, I  saw  the  figure  of  a  w^oman  pass  quickly 
out  by  the  door.  She  was  scarce  gone  when  I 
ran  through  the  same  door,  only  to  see  her  es- 
cape through  the  window  of  the  adjacent  apart- 
ment. Quick  as  thought  I  sped  out  of  the  win- 
dow— I  was  so  close  upon  her  I  might  almost 
have  cauofht  her  dress — but  once  out  I  could  see 
her  nowhere.  She  could  not  have  gone  by  the 
parapet,  for  I  must  have  seen  her  before  she 
turned  the  corner,  whether  she  took  to  the  right 
or  the  left.  There  was  no  door  or  window  by 
which  she  could  have  regained  the  building.    She 


189 


could  not  have  clambered  on  to  the  roof.  There 
was  only  one  thing  left,  and  that  was  not  credi- 
ble. Jean — for  I  felt  assured  it  was  she — could 
not  have  thrown  herself  from  the  parapet. 

Then  I  clean  lost  my  head.  I  searched  every 
corner  and  recess  in  the  roof,  calling  "Jean! 
Jean !"  at  the  full  of  ray  voice ;  but  naught  came 
back  from  the  rafters  but  the  echo  of  my  own 
cry.  Could  God  let  such  things  be — that  one  in 
the  flesh  should  vanish  on  the  moment  into  thin 
air  ?  In  a  frenzy  of  wonder,  fear,  and  grief  I 
ran  from  one  part  to  another,  crying  aloud  for 
Jean ;  but  the  only  answer  I  got  was  a  dull,  life- 
less, mechanical  "Jean"  from  the  walls. 

The  flames  wer«  now  beginning  to  lick  up  to 
the  plank,  my  only  hope  of  escape,  and  the  place 
became  very  hot.  I  could  do  no  more,  but  with 
what  reluctance  I  came  away  I  can  scarce  tell. 
I  soon  found  that  no  one  had  fallen  from  the 
parapet  and  been  dashed  to  death  on  the  ground 
below.  But  I  know  not  that  this  discovery  gave 
me  rest ;  for  it  left  me  to  think  that  the  same 
power  which  had  taken  the  apostle  Peter  through 
four  quartern  ions  of  soldiers  had  passed  ,Tean 
Uchiltrie  from  the  top  of  Kuthven  Castle,  or  that 
she  was  being  burned  alive  at  that  moment  in 
some  secret  part  of  the  building. 

My  Lady  and  her  people  had  slipped  away, 


190 


nobody  knew  in  what  direction,  or  by  whom  ac- 
companied, and  I  was  left  for  the  moment  in 
possession  of  what  remained  of  Kuthven  Castle. 
But  so  clouded  was  my  mind  by  what  had  hap- 
pened that  I  felt  I  could  think  of  nothing  until 
I  had  certainty  upon  one  point.  I  must  know 
whither  my  Lady  had  gone  and  Avho  had  gone 
with  her.  I  must  have-  the  truth  about  Jean 
TJchiltrie  before  I  did  anything  else  in  this  world. 
So,  tired  as  our  horses  were,  I  had  them  saddled 
again,  and  rode  forth  upon  the  King's  road  tow- 
ards Stirling. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

As  I  thought,  my  Lady's  party  had  taken  tho 
road  to  Stirling.  I  had  knowledge  of  this  not 
many  minutes  after  leaving  the  castle,  and  again 
at  Auchterarder.  It  was  strange,  however,  that 
one  spoke  of  a  company  of  six  persons,  while 
another  put  the  number  as  high  as  twenty,  and 
the  report  at  Auchterarder  was  that  there  were 
but  two  women  of  the  party.  As  we  rode  on 
we  got  no  further  information,  for  the  night  was 
far  spent  and  nobody  was  stirring. 

So  we  came  at  last,  as  the  day  began  to  break, 
to  a  point  at  no  great  distance  from  the  JSTorth 
Brig  of  Stirling,  and  it  behooved  us  to  go  no 
farther  in  that  direction.  By  the  tracks  on  the 
road,  seen  in  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  we 
could  tell  that  the  party  had  turned  neither  to 
the  right  nor  the  left,  but  gone  straight  for  the 
Brig  ;  but  we  might  not  follow  them,  for  two 
reasons.  The  Brig  was  closed  for  ordinary  pas- 
sengers, and  my  Lord  of  Arran  was  Captain  of 
the  Castle.  Andrew  Eviot  would  have  had  short 
shrift  in  Stirling  on  that  day.     So  we  turned 


192 


aside  into  ttie  Earl  of  Mar's  country,  and  sought 
the  house  of  a  yeoman  of  whom  I  had  certain 
intelligence. 

My  Lord  of  Mar  was  one  of  the  Banished 
Lords,  and  at  that  moment  was  living  perforce 
in  London,  But  for  these  Banished  Lords  the 
rule  of  Bloody  Plaman  and  his  wicked  Jezabel 
would  have  been  absolute  in  Scotland ;  and  for 
that  reason  urgent  appeals  had  been  made  to 
the  English  Court  for  their  surrender.  But  the 
Queen  of  England,  learning  from  the  anxiety  of 
my  Lord  of  Arran  that  she  held  an  important 
card  in  her  liand,  followed  her  usual  custom. 
She  kept  the  card  in  her  liand,  and  not  all  the 
entreaties  of  her  best  advisers  could  induce  her 
to  use  it  either  for  or  against  the  exiles.  So  my 
Lord  of  Arran  continued  to  be  Dominiis  Fac- 
totum in  the  Court  of  the  King  my  master ;  but 
he  lived  in  the  daily  dread  of  the  return  of  the 
men  who  could  pluck  him  from  his  place.  And 
so  time  drifted. 

But  during  this  time  there  was  constant  and 
daily  communication  held  between  these  Lords 
and  their  friends  in  Scotland.  In  sooth,  the  posts 
between  the  two  countries  have  never  ridden  so 
regularly  either  before  or  since,  and  yet  on  both 
sides  they  were  prohibited.  My  Lord  Hunsdon 
complained  bitterly  of  the  strange  riding  from 


193 


Newcastle  into  Scotland,  and  out  of  Scotland 
again,  but  he  could  not  stop  it.  Now  there  Avere 
certain  houses,  known  only  to  those  who  had 
secret  intelligence,  where  the  friends  of  the  ex- 
iled men  were  welcomed,  and  of  these  was  the 
house  where  I  now  sought  shelter. 

It  was  noon  before  I  aw^oke  the  following 
morning.  As  I  had  no  mind  to  sleep  out  my 
time  there,  I  Avas  soon  stirring,  and  began  by 
explaining  to  my  host  what  I  required.  It  was 
not  possible  for  me  or  either  of  my  men  to  enter 
openly  into  Stirling ;  but  we  found  that,  clothed 
in  some  of  my  host's  old  garments,  I  made  a 
reasonably  good  yeoman,  while  John  Sloan  Avas 
with  no  great  difficulty  so  apparelled  that  none 
would  have  taken  him  for  anything  but  a  hind. 
So  John  Sloan  and  I  went  on  our  Avay  towards 
Stirling,  the  one  disguised  as  a  yeoman,  the  other 
as  a  hind.  We  crossed  to  the  south  side  of  the 
Forth  in  a  crazy  boat,  nigh  to  the  place  of  Alloa, 
and  in  time  came  on  foot  to  the  West  Port  of 
Stirling,  by  Avhicli  we  entered  the  town. 

And  we  had  no  difficulty  in  assuring  ourselves 
of  the  information  we  sought,  for  all  knew  that 
my  Lady  had  entered  the  night  before  and  passed 
into  the  castle,  and  that  there  were  but  two 
women  in  the  part3^  This  news  discouraged 
me,  but  I  feared  some  trick  had  been  played 

13 


194 


upon  me,  and  was  not  yet  satisfied  that  I  was 
on  a  wrong  scent. 

We  chanced,  as  we  were  on  the  point  of  leav- 
ing the  town,  to  see  a  thing  which  is  of  but  too 
common  occurrence  in  the  great  towns  of  this 
country.  One,  stripped  naked  of  clothing,  was 
scourged  from  the  West  Port  to  the  Brig  End, 
and  there  thrust  out  of  the  Port,  with  a  warning 
not  to  return  to  the  town  upon  the  pain  of  death. 

I  knew  not  what  this  poor  wretch  had  done. 
I  had  bade  John  Sloan  inquire  ;  but  the  first  he 
spoke  to  shook  his  head  and  moved  away  with- 
out answer,  and  the  second  said,  "  If  ye  are  on 
fameeliar  tearmes  wi'  my  Lord  Arran,  wha  keeps 
the  castle  yonder,  ye  might  speir  at  him.  Nae- 
body  else  in  this  toun  kens.  But  if  I  was  ye, 
man,  I  wouldna  speir  at  onybody."  Well,  I 
think  there  are  some  crimes  for  which  I  could 
flog  a  man  with  my  proper  hand,  for  they  make 
my  blood  boil.  In  some  things  reasoning  is  a 
waste  of  breath,  and  I  would  not  argue  with 
any  man  whether  my  instinct  is  right  here ; 
though  well  I  know  that  there  are  men  Avhose 
blood  never  boils. 

But  knowing  not  the  nature  of  this  poor  man's 
ofi'ence,  the  terrible  suffering  inflicted  on  him 
caused  a  great  pity  to  arise  in  me.  The  lash 
cut   through  the  skin,  and  coming  back  upon 


195 


the  same  spots  widened  the  wounds  until  tliere 
was  not  an  inch  of  sound  skin  remaining  on  liis 
back.  We  are  apt  to  pass  by  witli  closed  eyes 
the  extremes  of  human  liain ;  but  I  was  moved 
to  follow  this  man  to  the  end  of  his  castigation, 
because  through  it  all  he  flinched  not  once.  ISTor 
did  he  give  one  sob,  or  sigh,  or  dolorous  sign.  I 
have  seen  men  do  acts  of  great  bravery  and  cour- 
age, but  I  have  known  nothing  more  approach- 
ing to  heroism  than  the  demeanor  of  this  man. 

When  the  scourgers  had  done  their  office,  and 
were  about  to  thrust  him  out  of  the  Port,  one  of 
the  poorer  sort,  a  woman,  cast  a  cloth  over  him 
to  cover  his  nakedness.  Perchance  she  had  a 
son,  or  a  husband,  or  a  brother,  who  had  suffered 
the  like  treatment.  She  had  followed  with  the 
rest  of  us  to  the  Port,  and  when  she  had  cast  the 
cloth  upon  him  she  went  her  wa3's,  looking  not 
for  thanks,  nor  regarding  those  who  stood  b3^ 
Surely  the  great  God  seeth  these  things,  and 
some  treasure  is  laid  up  for  those  who  do  them, 
where  neither  moth  nor  rust  do  corrupt,  nor 
thieves  break  through  and  steal.  It  hath  often 
moved  me  to  see  how  quick  the  poor  are  to  show 
compassion.  Every  stroke  of  the  lash  I  had  felt 
on  my  own  back,  and  yet  had  I  not  as  much 
thought  for  the  object  of  my  pity  as  this  poor 
woman. 


196 


AVitli  some  feeling  of  indignation  that  one  who 
had  shown  himself  a  man  indeed  should  be  thus 
mishandled,  we  left  the  town  as  we  entered  it ; 
but  for  some  cause  which  I  remember  not  now 
we  returned  to  our  quarters  by  a  different  route. 
After  going  a  few  miles  up  the  river  we  crossed 
to  the  north  side,  and  so  came  down  the  water- 
side to  the  spot  whence  we  started  in  the  morn- 
ing. But  when  we  had  passed  the  Stirling 
Brig  by  no  great  distance  I  noticed  an  object  of 
unusual  appearance  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  track  ;  and  being  curious  to  know  what  it 
might  be,  I  found  on  approaching  that  it  was  no 
other  than  the  poor  creature  whom  we  had  seen 
scourged  through  the  streets  of  Stirling.  He  was 
crouching  in  an  attitude  of  the  deepest  dejection, 
his  elbows  resting  on  his  knees  and  his  face 
buried  in  his  hands. 

"  Cheer  up,  luan,"  said  I,  "  and  give  not  the 
devil  a  chance  now.  One  who  can  take  his  fortune 
as  we  saw  you  an  hour  or  two  ago  must  be  of  bet- 
ter spirit  than  to  sit  upon  the  ground  like  this." 

Thereupon  he  lifted  up  his  face  (which  I  had 
not  yet  seen,  for  I  walked  behind  him  when  he 
was  scourged),  and  I  marvelled  indeed  to  see 
that  this  man  was  Barabbas,  the  servitor  of  the 
Earl  of  Arran,  and  my  constant  companion  for 
some  time  past. 


197 


"  I  see,  sir,"  said  lie,  "  tliat  ye  knew  me  not. 
Nor  know  ye  my  occasion.  For  the  bodily  pain 
and  the  shame  done  to  me,  I  have  endurit  them, 
and  they  count  for  little  —  though  truly  I  am  sa 
sair  Avoundit  that  I  could  scarce  walk  from  this 
spot  if  I  would.  But  I  have  lost  my  employ- 
ment, and  nane  will  readily  take  a  man  to  serve 
him  who  has  been  with  the  Earl  of  Arran.  I 
care  not  for  myself  ;  but  I  have  a  mother,  a  wid- 
owed woman,  living  in  Ilalidayhill,  who  hath  de- 
pended these  ten  years  past  wholly  upon  me. 
And  what  I  may  do  for  her  now,  poor  Avoman, 
God  alone  knoweth."  And  this  man,  who  had 
not  so  much  as  winked  an  eye  under  the  most 
terrible  punishment,  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears. 

"  Give  not  way  to  this,"  I  replied  ;  "  be  a  man 
still ;  and  albeit  I  have  not  been  without  some 
grudge  against  you"  (here  he  looked  curiously 
at  me),  "  because  I  know  you  to  be  a  man  I  will 
not  desert  you.  I  will  have  you  taken  from 
hence  to  a  place  where  you  may  remain  until 
you  recover  from  your  wounds,  and  will  give 
you  wherewithal  to  maintain  and  clothe  you 
until  you  are  able  to  seek  a  new  master  for 
yourself." 

The  sight  of  this  uncouth  creature  in  tears, 
while  not  without  something  of  the  ludicrous, 
was  strangely  pitiable.     And  indeed,  as  I  said, 


198 


I  had  him  taken  from  where  he  was  to  a  cer- 
tain cottage,  where  he  was  to  lie  until  he  was 
recovered.  And,  being  a  temperate  man,  and 
living  much  in  God's  fresh  air,  he  made  a  quick 
recovery. 

Meanwhile  I  continued  for  a  few  days  in  the 
same  spot,  making  such  inquiries  as  I  might  in 
different  parts,  including  the  vicinity  of  KinneU. 
For  I  still  thought  that  a  trick  had  been  plaj'ed 
upon  me,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  seek  else- 
where when  I  knew  that  but  two  women  had 
passed  from  Euthven  Castle  to  Stirling  on  the 
night  of  the  fire.  But  I  could  gain  no  intelli- 
gence ;  and  being  satisfied  at  length  that  I  was 
on  the  wrong  track,  I  ordered  my  horse  to  be 
saddled,  meaning  to  return  to  Ruthven,  which 
indeed  I  should  never  have  left. 

While,  then,  my  horse  was  being  saddled,  and 
preparations  were  made  for  our  departure,  to 
my  great  surprise  Barabbas  stood  before  me. 
Though  he  could  scarce  have  put  his  garment  on 
his  back  without  enduring  great  agony,  he  had 
arisen  and  come  forth  to  speak  with  me. 

"  I  heard,  sir,"  said  he,  "  that  ye  had  ordered 
your  horse  to  be  saddled.  I  felt  I  couldna  be 
left  behind  if  I  might  get  your  permission  to  go 
with  ye." 

This  would  never  do.     I  had  had  enough  of 


19'J 


supervision  from  Barabbas,  and  wished  for  no 
more.  Besides,  though  I  now  knew  him  tcj  be  a 
brave  man,  it  did  not  follow  that  he  was  a  true 
man. 

"^ay,"  I  replied,  "that  may  not  be.  For,  to 
begin,  your  back  must  still  be  so  sore  that  you 
could  not  possibly  travel.  Then  I  am  a  man  of 
no  great  substance,  and  though  for  the  present  I 
can  make  such  show  as  I  do,  I  cannot  be  at  the 
charge  of  another  man." 

"  As  to  that,  sir,  I  would  serve  for  a  season 
without  wages.  I  have  received  unlooked-for 
kindness  from  ye,  and  would  show  that  I  am 
grateful." 

"In  the  third  place,  Barabbas,  I  have  my  own 
particular  affairs  to  attend  to,  and  for  the  pres- 
ent, at  least,  they  cannot  be  set  forward  by  those 
who  are  strangers  to  them." 

"Ah!"  he  replied,  with  some  reproach  in  his 
voice,  "'twas  but  likely  that  ye  should  distrust 
me,  for  I  served  one  who  endeavored  to  do  ye 
much  evil.  But  that  service  is  over,  indeed,  as 
ye  can  well  credit,  having  seen  what  ye  did." 

"  Aye,  it  is  like,  indeed ;  but  it  marvels  me 
that  I  asked  you  not  before  for  what  cause  did 
my  Lord  use  you  in  this  despiteful  fashion  ?" 

"  Joshua  Ileuderson  put  him  first  in  suspicion 
of  me  about  a  letter  which  the  loon  said  I  ripped 


200 


from  yon  body  by  the  Clochrigstane.  Ye'll  mind 
the  rider  that  came  clattering  down  the  brae 
when  I  fetched  him  out  of  his  saddle  ?" 

"  I  remember  it  well.  I  saw  you  take  the 
letter." 

"  Ye  saw  me  ?  Well,  I  didna  think  there  was 
a  man  alive  could  have  seen  that." 

"  I  have  sharp  eyes,  and  I  wonder  not  that  ray 
Lord  took  you  in  suspicion  if  he  knew  it." 

"  He  knew  it  not  for  truth.  But  ye,  at  least, 
Captain  Eviot,  can  scarce  complain,  for  found  ye 
not  the  letter  in  your  gauntlet  at  Falkland  ? 
And  long  before  we  came  to  the  Clochrigstane 
had  not  the  letters  to  his  Highness  and  the  Laird 
of  Kilsyth  been  exchanged,  the  one  for  the  other?" 

"  How  know  you  that,  man  ?"  said  I,  sharply. 

"  Because  I  shifted  them  myseF." 

At  which  reply  I  was  somewhat  startled.  I 
had  thought  this  Barabbas  a  cunning,  spying 
man,  but  I  had  not  looked  for  such  adroitness  as 
this  from  him.  If  he  were  so  deep  in  these  mat- 
ters, perchance  he  knew  more  of  my  designs  and 
doings  than  I  thought  for.  But  I  could  scarce 
run  the  risk  of  sounding  him  further  than  he 
chose  to  go  of  his  own  accord. 

"  I  have  been  of  service  to  ye,"  he  continued, 
"  mair  often  than  ye  ken  ;  maybe  I  might  serve 
ye  again  if  I  but  get  the  chance.    We  who  serve 


201 


ken  mair  than  is  thought,  both  of  our  master's 
business  and  the  business  of  other  folk.  Because 
we  do  not  speak  our  silence  is  oft  taken  for  ig- 
norance. But  if  ye  would  not  take  it  for  pre- 
sumption I  would  make  bold  to  say  that  Cai)tain 
Eviot  requires  my  service." 

"  Tut,  tut,  man  ;  what  do  you  know  V 

"  If  I  were  to  say,  sir,  what  I  know  it  might 
hurt  others,  therefore  I  will  hold  my  peace.  But 
if  ye  will  take  me  I  will  do  ye  no  scath,  and  may 
do  ye  service  as  good  as  I  have  done  before." 

"Nay,  friend  Barabbas,"  said  I,  irritated  by 
his  persistence,  "  I  will  have  no  one  about  me  or 
in  my  service  who  tells  me  that  he  will  keep  his 
knowledge  to  himself.  I  want  no  one  whom  I 
cannot  trust  or  who  cannot  trust  me.  So  fish 
for  yourself,  and  in  your  own  waters." 

But  the  creature  continued  to  plead  with  so 
much  persistency  and  humility,  vowing  fidelity, 
and  asserting  his  power  to  serve  me,  that  at  last, 
because  of  his  importunity,  I  consented  to  allow 
him  to  ride  with  me  back  to  Ruthven  Castle,  but 
no  farther.  So  we  procured  for  him  a  sorry-look- 
ing hackney,  which  seemed  to  be  but  skin  and 
bone,  and  mounted  him  thereon.  And  the  hack- 
ney, for  all  that  it  had  such  an  ill  appearance,  held 
its  own  with  the  other  horses,  and  when  it  made 
Ruthven  Castle  was  as  fresh  as  when  it  started. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

If  my  Lady  Jezabel  had  failed  to  recover  the  X 
Jewel  it  seemed  that  she  had  at  least  thrown  me 
out  of  the  chase.  I  had  lost  her  presence  for  the 
moment  if  not  for  always,  and  thus  I  could  no 
longer  run  with  the  hound  that  would  always  be 
near  the  hare.  I  might  follow  my  Lady  at  a 
distance,  but  she  would  never  again  endeavor  to 
use  me  as  a  tool. 

It  was  possible  she  knew  as  little  of  Mistress 
Jean's  fate  as  I  did,  but  in  my  heart  I  knew  that 
that  could  scarce  be  true.  I  had  not  thrown  off 
the  feeling  that  I  had  been  tricked,  but  where  and 
how  I  could  not  find.  As  to  the  jewel  —  time 
alone  would  show  whether  I  was  in  the  right  or 
not ;  but  I  still  believed  that  to  find  Jean  Uchil- 
trie  w^as  to  recover  the  mistress  of  the  jewel,  and 
I  had  come  back  to  the  spot  where  I  lost  her, 
resolute  to  follow  her  step  by  step  until  I  knew 
the  truth.  But  no  intelligence  did  I  get  from 
the  indwellers  on  the  spot  which  was  of  any  use 
to  me.  Nobody  had  been  found  in  the  buildings 
after  the  fire  abated,  and  none  believed  that  life 


203 


had  been  lost ;  but,  unhappily,  that  proved  noth- 
ing. On  the  following  morning  I  sent  my  men 
into  the  neighboring  villages,  but  they  brought 
back  nothing  beyond  the  vague,  distracted  ru- 
mors which  the  rustic  brain  delights  to  fabri- 
cate. 

Meantime  I  set  myself  to  examine  with  great 
care  the  fabric  of  the  burned-out  building.  And 
I  took  upon  hand  to  do  this  because  none  was 
present  who  had  power  or  occasion  to  hinder 
me.  The  Cliancellor's  folk  had  abandoned  the 
place,  and  my  Lord  of  Montrose  had  not  entered 
upon  the  possession  of  it ;  so,  albeit  the  commis- 
sion I  carried  in  my  poucli  was  but  for  a  shift,  I 
made  it  serve  my  turn  on  this  occasion. 

The  fire  had  cleared  out  all  that  was  combusti- 
ble in  the  upper  part  of  the  castle ;  but  inasmuch 
as  the  walls  were  of  fi^reat  thickness  and  streno-tJK 
and  the  turnpike-stairs  built  of  stone,  but  little 
harm  was  done  to  the  permanent  frame  of  the 
building.  Tliere  was  nothing  to  hinder  me  from 
ascending  by  the  winding  staircase  to  the  para- 
pet, and  thitlier  I  did  indeed  go,  Carryg  and 
Sloan  being  absent  from  the  castle  on  my  busi- 
ness, and  Barabbas  having  disappeared,  bent  on 
some  particular  of  his  own.  When  I  had  been  en- 
gaged for  some  space  in  examining  every  visible 
inch  of  the  structure,  with  a  view  to  detect  some 


204 


secret  arrangement  in  it,  but  so  far  without  suc- 
cess, I  found  myself  on  a  sudden  face  to  face 
with  Barabbas.  I  was  not  surprised  that  he 
should  follow  me  there,  for  I  thought  him  of  a 
prying  disposition ;  but  for  a  moment  it  gave 
me  a  scare  to  think  that  he  had  not  come  up  by 
the  turnpike-stair,  which  was  the  only  means  of 
ascending  to  the  parapet.  M'Kuskan  Grossok 
might  come  up  on  a  broomstick  for  aught  that  I 
knew,  or  in  the  form  of  a  carrion-crow,  but  I 
had  scarce  reckoned  Barabbas  among  the  devil's 
bairns.  The  staircase  was  behind  me,  and  I  had 
assured  myself  that  there  was  no  one  else  on  the 
parapet ;  and  yet  as  I  was  busied  with  my  work 
— there  was  Barabbas  in  front  of  me. 

I  had  had  time  to  ponder  upon  this  man's  tale 
and  to  question  to  what  purpose  he  had  inter- 
fered in  my  business.  I  had  resolved  that  he 
should  purge  himself  on  that  point,  if  he  would 
speak  on  no  other.  But  when  I  found  him 
again  upon  my  track,  not  being  bidden  thereto, 
I  thought  I  should  let  him  see  who  was  master. 

"  What  do  you  here,"  I  cried,  harshly,  "  with- 
out leave  and  without  orders  from  me  ?  And  by 
what  road  came  you  hither  ?     Answer  me  that." 

"I  came  by  the  gate  I  have  aye  used.  Captain." 

I  was  not  willing  he  should  guess  what  was  in 
my  mind  on  that  head,  so  I  again  demanded 


205 


to  know  for  what  purpose  he  had  sought  me 
there. 

"E'en  to  dehver  this  letter  into  your  hands,'' 
he  replied,  giving  me  a  letter  directed  in  a  hand 
which  I  knew  right  well,  and  bearing  these  words 
on  the  back  :  "  Ride,  ride,  for  your  life,  for  your 
life,  for  your  life!"  A  rude  gallows  was  traced 
in  the  corner,  and  the  following  indorsement  had 
been  freshly  written  on  it :  "  Received  at  the 
Castell  of  Ruthven,  an  hour  before  Noon,  this 
19th  day  of  July  1585." 

"  Who  made  this  indorsement  ?"  said  I. 

"  I  did,  sir." 

"  And  how  dare  you  do  that  ?  How  dare  you 
take  upon  yourself  to  handle  a  letter  directed  to 
me  ?  You  are  not  in  my  service,  and  methinks, 
friend  Barabbas,  3'^our  lingers  are  over  nimble 
with  other  folks'  writings.  I  begin  to  find  how 
3'ou  came  by  that  scourging  at  Stirling.  And, 
hark  ye :  if  ye  have  not  more  care  ye  will  come 
by  something  worse  than  scourging." 

"  I  did  it  for  the  best,  sir.  Your  men  were  ab- 
sent, none  knew  where  ye  were,  and  I  would  not 
folk  should  ken.  The  post  was  pressed  for  time, 
and  if  I  had  not  taken  the  letter  he  miglit  have 
left  it  with  those  whose  eyes  are  mair  curious 
than  mine.  As  you  ken  weel,  an  ill-delivered  let- 
ter seldom  comes  to  the  hands  of  its  rightful 


206 


owner  in  this  country.  Moreover,  although  ye 
trust  me  not,  maybe  the  writer  of  this  letter  does." 
And  he  mentioned  a  name  which  I  would  fain 
not  have  heard  from  his  lips. 

"  You  are  an  over-presuming  knave,  and  as 
you  will  not  leave  my  business  alone  you  will  be 
good  enough  to  explain  how  you  came  to  inter- 
fere in  it.  What  made  you  tamper  with  the  let- 
ters of  my  Lord  of  Arran  ?  What  made  3^ou  ram 
the  Laird  of  Kilsyth's  letter  into  my  gauntlet  at 
Falkland  ?  It  was  not  for  love  of  me.  What 
was  it,  man  ?  If  you  had  desisted,  I  might  have 
let  you  pass  ;  but  as  I  find  you  still  in  my  path, 
and  3^ou  have  no  longer  my  Lord  of  Arran  to 
please,  you  leave  not  this  spot  until  you  have 
given  me  an  answer." 

"  I  confess,  sir,  that  I  came  hither  for  another 
purpose  besides  the  delivery  of  3^on  letter.  I  had 
but  to  bide  below,  and  I  had  not  incurred  your 
anger;  but  I  canna  forget  your  kindness  to  me. 
I  was  poor  and  hungry,  and  ye  clothed  and  fed 
me  ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  tended  me  ;  I  was  bruised 
and  broken  in  spirit,  and  ye  gave  me  courage. 
And  these  are  things  a  Border  lad  never  forgets. 
So  I  made  bold  to  face  your  anger;  and  now  I 
would  anger  ye  still  further,  though  if  ye  could 
but  think  me  a  true  man  to  you  there  would  be 
no  just  cause  for  anger." 


207 


"What's  all  this  talk  about  ?    Speak  up,  man." 

"  I  Avould  not  be  thought  to  pry  into  your  rea- 
sons. In  the  performance  of  my  service  accident 
made  me  acquaint  with  some  of  your  particular 
affairs ;  but  that  was  not  ray  fault,  and  I  have 
used  my  knowledge  only  to  your  advantage.  I 
seek  not  to  know  your  purpose  in  coming  hither ; 
but  this  I  would  say,  in  the  hope  it  may  save  ye 
some  trouble  and  anxiety :  if  ye  seek  here  any 
person  or  any  thing,  ye  waste  your  time;  for 
both  she  and  it  are  elsewhere,  and  in  sure  keep- 
ing." 

His  meaning  was  plain  enough  to  me,  though 
his  words  were  veiled.  "Was  it  possible  for  me 
to  pretend  to  misunderstand  him  ? 

"  Speak  plainly,  man,"  I  said.  "  Of  whom  and 
what  do  you  speak  ?  There  is  none  to  overhear 
3'ou  here." 

"  I'm  no  so  sure  o'  that,"  he  replied,  looking 
suspiciously  round,  and  seeming  to  peer  between 
the  joints  of  the  masonr3^  "  As  for  the  lady,  I 
needna  name  her ;  ye  will  surely  ken  my  mean- 
ing without  that.  But  as  for  the  gear,  there  is 
no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  named  between 
us,  for  it  is  well  known  to  both  of  us — in  plain 
Scots,  the  X  Jewel." 

"Ah!"  said  I,  jeeringly,  for  I  believed  him  not, 
saying  to  myself  that  he  would  gain  what  he 


208 


could  of  my  knowledge,  "  so  this  lady  and  this 
jewel  are  in  sure  keeping.  Where,  may  I 
ask  ?" 

"  As  for  the  lady,  I  can  say  no  more  but  that 
she  is  in  safety," 

"  Of  course  you  cannot.  You  are  a  lying 
knave,  and  I  suppose  your  knowledge  of  the 
jewel  goes  not  beyond  your  formula  that  it  is 
in  safe  keeping." 

"  I  have  it  myself,  and  that  is  sure  enough." 

"  What,  you  rascal !"  I  cried,  losing  all  sense  of 
caution  in  the  surprise  and  anger  of  the  moment, 
"  do  you  boast  of  having  in  your  keeping  one  of 
the  royal  jewels  stolen  from  the  King's  jewel- 
chest  ?" 

"  It's  no  a  roj^al  jewel,"  he  replied,  contemptu- 
ously ;  "  it's  but  a  piece  of  filthy  Papistry  ;  but 
it's  in  good  keeping,  sure  enough,  and  there  it 
will  bide  for  a  Avhile." 

"  Not  so,  cozening  knave.  If  you  don't  hand 
it  over  to  me  on  the  spot,  I  will  call  up  Carryg 
and  Sloan,  and  we  will  hang  you  from  the  para- 
pet without  more  ado.  So  you  can  begin  your 
prayers  as  soon  as  you  like." 

"  That  wouldna  do  ye  much  good,  sir ;  for  ye 
will  likely  ken  that  I  w^ould  not  be  speaking  so 
blithely  of  yon  gear  if  I  had  it  about  me.  It's  in 
sure  keeping  now ;    but  if  I  am  hangit,  maybe 


209 

the  secret  of  its  hiding-place  would  die  with 
me." 

"  This  passes  all  endurance,"  I  cried ;  "  if  I 
cannot  bring  you  to  reason,  I  will  take  you  to 
his  Majesty." 

I  know  not  what  I  should  have  made  of  him  if 
I  had  taken  him  then  and  there.  I  might  have 
thrown  him  into  the  dungeoin  below  the  castle 
until  he  gathered  his  manners,  or  I  might  have 
ridden  over  with  him  to  Falkland  and  delivered 
him  out  of  liand  to  the  King.  But  as  I  stepped 
forward,  making  as  I  would  have  seized  him,  he 
slipped  behind  the  masonry  of  the  window  and 
seemed  to  disappear  into  the  stone. 

This  is  passing  strange,  thought  I,  as  1  went 
forward  to  examine  the  place,  but  the  mystery 
Avas  soon  explained.  Behind  a  stone  which  was 
somewhat  larger  than  its  neighbors  was  a  clum- 
sily shaped  gap  in  the  masonry  of  space  suffi- 
cient to  admit  the  body  of  a  person  of  middle 
size.  On  coming  close  to  the  aperture  and  look- 
ins:  into  it  I  could  see  that  a  rude  staircase  of 
narrow  compass  descended  somewhat  precipi- 
tously, and  I  doubted  not  that  it  led  to  the  base 
of  the  building.  Perhaps  I  should  liave  come 
upon  it  if  my  search  had  not  been  interrupted; 
but  there  was  small  wonder  that  I  did  not  dis- 
cover it  on  the  evening  of  the  fire,  for  it  was  clev- 


210 


erly  concealed,  the  light  was  bad,  and  I  was 
greatly  excited.  It  was  here  that  the  woman  I 
saw  vanished,  and  it  was  by  means  of  this  stair 
that  Barabbas  had  intercepted  me  a  few  minutes 
before,  when  I  was  examining  the  parapet, 

I  was  debating  whether  I  should  descend  and 
endeavor  to  catch  him  below,  for  I  had  no  mind 
to  venture  my  person  in  this  rat -hole,  when  I 
heard  a  little  cry,  as  of  an  animal  when  it  is 
caught  in  a  gin.  A  sort  of  disturbed  sound  also 
came  from  the  secret  passage,  such  as  is  made 
by  weasels  and  conies  when  they  engage  each 
other  beneath  the  ground.  As  the  sound  seemed 
to  approach  me  I  waited  a  space,  and  erelong 
the  form  of  Barabbas  retreated  backward  forth 
of  the  passage,  dragging  with  him  some  object 
as  he  came. 

"Here's  a  precious  vermin!"  he  cried,  as  I  rec- 
oo-nized  the  ferret  features  of  M'Kuskan  Grossok. 
"  I  kent  there  were  open  lugs  about,  but  it's  well 
it  happened  no  waur.  The  place  is  convenient, 
and  none  will  guess  that  he  didna  fall  or  throw 
himself  down,  like  Judas  Iscariot,  for  he  hath 
been  a  sinful  body."  And  without  more  ado  he 
swung  Grossok  over  the  parapet,  and  held  him 
suspended  by  the  collar. 

"  Give  him  live  seconds  for  his  prayers,"  said  I. 

"  Mercy  !    For  the  love  of  (.hrist,  spare  me !" 


211 


cried  the  wretched  man.  "  I  will  tell  everything, 
on  my  great  oath." 

"  Pull  him  up  for  a  moment  and  swear  him. 
I  will  give  him  a  chance  for  his  life." 

Barabbas,  with  some  show  of  dissatisfaction, 
drew  him  over  the  parapet  again,  trembling  and 
with  the  fear  of  death  upon  him,  and  swore  him 
upon  a  copy  of  the  Gospels  which,  to  my  aston- 
ishment, he  produced  from  his  pouch. 

"Now,"  said  I,  "how  came  you  here?" 

"  By  yon  passage." 

"  Aye,  but  avIio  sent  you,  and  wdiat  Avas  your 
purpose  ?  Tell  me  the  truth,  and  I  will  spare 
your  life.     If  you  lie,  over  you  go." 

"Nobody  sent  me.  My  Lady  would  know 
where  a  certain  chain  was,  and  what  had  come 
of  Mistress  Jean  Uchiltrie,  of  whom  she  had  no 
tidings  since  the  fire  here.  And,  having  some 
skill  of  divination,  I — " 

"  You  came  here  to  pry  out  with  your  ferret's 
eyes  and  your  rascally  lugs  what  the  devil 
wouldn't  tell  you.  Now,  mark  me,  sirrah,  for 
on  the  truth  of  your  answer  to  this  question 
your  life  depends — what  is  this  chain  you  speak 
of,  and  what  hath  my  Lady  to  do  with  it  V" 

"  It  is  a  chain  with  a  jewel  hanging  fra  it 
wliich  has  been  callit  the  X,and  was  at  one  time 
in  my  Lady's  hands ;  but  it  has  been  reft  fra  her." 


213 


"  So  be  it ;  you  seem  to  have  spoken  the  truth, 
and  you  have  not  taken  much  by  your  pains. 
None  the  less,  this  manner  of  divination  deserv- 
eth  some  recompense,  and  ye  shall  not  be  cheat- 
ed of  it." 

"  Shall  I  put  him  over,  sir  ?"  said  Barabbas, 
with  alacrity.  I  think  that  Barabbas  had  many 
old  scores  to  pay  off  upon  this  man,  to  Avhose 
chattering  tongue  he  owed  his  disgrace  and  dis- 
missal from  the  Earl  of  Arran's  service.  More- 
over, he  knew  that  Grossok  had  probably  over- 
heard his  admission  that  he  had  the  X  Jewel; 
and  he  rightly  feared  that  if  the  tale  got  abroad 
he  would  become  an  object  of  my  Lady  Arran's 
most  sohcitous  care.  But  I  saw  no  disadvantage 
in  that,  because  I  reckoned  that  it  would  force 
him  to  open  his  hand  to  me. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  I ;  "  I  meant  not  that." 

"  Dead  folk  winna  bite ;  and  this  one,  if  he 
lives,  will  bite  like  a  viper." 

"  I  cannot  have  it,  man.  Bring  him  down  in 
the  meantime." 

And,  to  be  short,  the  wretched  man  was  cast 
into  the  castle  dungeon,  where  he  remained  for 
some  hours.  When  Carryg  and  Sloan  returned 
I  was  able  to  attend  to  him  according  to  his  mer- 
its ;  for,  causing  the  three  men  to  mount  their 
horses,  I  bade  them  chase  the  creature  from  tho 


213 


place,  keeping  him  on  the  trot  for  the  space  of 
three  miles  or  so,  and  giving  him  an  occasional 
taste  of  their  horse-wands.  I  learned  some  time 
afterwards  that  the  rascals  had  the  insolence  to 
exceed  their  authority ;  for  not  only  did  they  flog 
the  diviner  most  unmercifully,  but  they  cropped 
his  ears  before  they  let  him  go. 

This  was  a  lucky  adventure  for  Barabhas,  for 
ere  I  could  speak  further  with  him  I  had  gone 
somewhat  from  my  anger,  and  I  listened  to  him 
with  some  patience. 

"  Sir,"  said  he,  when  he  could  approach  me 
again,  "ye  may  send  me  to  the  King  if  ye  will, 
but  that  will  not  serve.  I  ken,  of  course,  I 
should  be  booted  ;  but  ye  have  seen  enough  of 
me  to  know  that  the  torture  will  not  make  me 
speak.  If  I  could  but  make  ye  believe  it,  the 
King  will  draw  nothing  from  me  that  I  will  not 
tell  to  you.  And  after  I  am  booted,  who  would 
be  the  better  i  My  Lord  and  Lady,  and  yonder 
Grossok  ye  have  with  too  much  mercy  spared, 
would  be  wcel  content ;  but  ye  Avould  lose  a  ser- 
vant whose  help,  I  ken  weel,  ye  will  want,  and, 
moreover,  it  is  an  ill  moment  for  you,  sir,  to  re- 
pair to  the  Court." 

"  Why  so  ?" 

"  Maybe  the  letter  I  brought  ye  some  time 
since  will  give  ye  news."     I  had  forgotten  the 


214 


letter  for  the  moment,  and  yet  from  the  extrav- 
agances on  the  back  of  it  I  was  to  suppose  it 
was  urgent.  Dismissing  Barabbas,  I  broke  open 
the  despatch,  wherein  I  read  as  follows : 

"  Right  Teaist  Freind, — It  needs  that  I  see 
you  quickh'^,  for  the  cause  is  in  straits  and  w^ant- 
eth  you.  All  at  this  Court  walk  in  greate  daun- 
ger,  insomuch  than  none  goeth  without  his  pis- 
tols, and  I  enter  not  even  the  King's  presence 
except  I  am  well  attended  by  my  friends.  These 
things  cannot  endure,  and  it  behooveth  us  to  be 
the  first  to  strilvc.  I  now  see  clearly  that  we 
shall  lose  our  Latin  except  we  contrive  a  last- 
ing breach  between  the  Queen  of  England  and 
Bloody  Ilaman;  and,  as  I  shall  show  you  when 
we  meet,  you  are  the  instrument  chosen  for  the 
work.  But  our  occasion  is  of  days,  nay,  of  hours, 
for  the  King  inclineth  to  this  league  with  Eng- 
land ;  and  if  he  sigQ  it  with  the  great  Blood- 
sucker by  his  side  w^e  must  make  a  run  of  it. 
For  though  his  Highness  greatly  affecteth  me, 
he  will  not  allow  a  hair  of  the  other's  head  to 
be  injured. 

"  For  our  tryst  'twere  best  you  came  not 
here ;  for,  seeing  the  work  we  have  in  hand,  I 
Avould  have  none  know  that  I  speak  wnth  you, 
and  none  know  that  you  come  into  Fyff,  or  that 


215 


you  go  thence.  For  if  that  be  known  your 
passing  to  the  South  might  chance  to  be  more 
lively  than  you  look  for.  Come,  therefore,  under 
the  darkness  of  night,  and  meet  me  an  hour 
before  sunrise  to-morrow  morning  on  St.  Serf's 
Inch,  in  Lochleven.  Bring  all  and  everything 
with  you;  for  if  I  know  you  rightly  you  will 
scarce  return  to  your  enchanted  castell  now 
that  the  birds  have  flown.  A  boat  will  await 
you  at  the  southeastern  extremity  of  the  Loch 
which  you  may  trust  to  carry  you  to  the  Inch, 
but  let  not  those  who  guide  it  set  their  foot  on 
the  island.  At  Falkland,  this  19th  day  of  July 
1585. — Your  verie  affectionat  freind  to  do  you 
service." 

This  letter  was  without  signature,  but  it  need- 
ed no  siirnature  for  me. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

The  air  grows  cold  upon  St.  Serf's  Inch  an 
hour  before  sunrise.  I,  who  have  been  there 
at  such  an  hour,  albeit  on  a  summer  morn- 
ing, should  know.  For  half  an  hour  I  had 
crouched  among  the  reeds  on  the  northern  edge 
of  the  island,  straining  my  eyes  towards  the 
shore.  But  to  no  purpose,  for  a  murky  gloom 
hung  over  the  loch,  and  there  was  no  thin 
streak  of  liglit  in  tlie  east  such  as  usually  pre- 
cedes the  dawn.  The  water  was  as  smooth 
as  polished  glass,  and  there  was  not  a  breath  of 
wind.  There  was  a  dead  silence,  and  it  grew 
colder. 

Then  there  was  a  faint  stirring  of  the  reeds ; 
I  could  hear  them  jostle  each  other ;  and  a  light 
breeze  grew  over  the  water  and  rippled  it.  A 
tinge  of  crimson  crept  on  to  the  horizon  to  the 
east,  but  it  would  be  some  time  3'et  ere  the  sun 
rose.  Here  and  there  came  a  single  chirrup  from 
a  small  bird,  or  a  croak  from  a  cock  grouse 
which  had  been  roused  too  soon,  and  ducks  be- 
gan to  ily  across  the  Inch  in  twos  and  threes. 


•217 


It  was  still  veiy  dark,  for  the  murk  was  thick 
upon  the  water. 

Then  there  came  from  the  loch,  but,  as  it 
seemed,  close  to  the  island  and  very  low,  the  note 
of  the  thrush.  I  suppose  the  thrush  visits  the 
Inch,  but  it  does  not  ])ipe  on  the  water  in  the 
cold  hours  of  the  morning.  So  I  returned  the 
note,  and  when  a  few  seconds  had  passed  I  saw 
the  nose  of  a  boat  glide  out  of  the  gloom  and 
make  the  shore  but  a  few  paces  from  me.  A 
tall,  slim  man  sprang  from  the  bow,  and  desired 
those  w^ho  had  brought  him  to  remain  by  their 
oars,  and  on  no  account  to  land  or  leave  the  boat. 
When  he  turned  I  was  standing  at  his  elbow, 
and,  dark  as  it  was,  we  had  no  need  of  light  to 
see  each  other ;  but  he  was  careful  not  to  name 
me,  nor  did  I  name  him. 

This  Inch,  once,  as  it  is  said,  the  site  of  a  mon- 
astery founded  by  the  Culdees,  is  now  wholly 
given  up  to  pasturage  for  cattle ;  but  inasmuch 
as  it  extends  to  ninety  acres  or  so  of  ground, 
and  is  not  encumbered  with  trees  or  brushwood, 
it  is  not  unsuited  for  secret  converse. 

"  Andrew,"  said  this  stranger,  when  he  liad 
drawn  me  by  the  arm  out  of  all  danger  of  being 
overheard,  "  I  am  late.  I  had  great  difficulty  in 
winning  clear  of  them.  This  is  a  strange  place 
for  a  tryst,  is  it  not  T' 


218 


"  Aye,"  I  said  ;  "  surely  you  might  have  saved 
us  the  trouble  of  the  boats  and  the  danger  of 
babbling  from  the  owners  of  tliera  ?" 

"  Nay,  I  think  I  have  done  well.  Our  purpose 
is  ruined  if  they  know  that  I  have  met  you ;  for 
even  if  your  adventure  succeeds  it  would  be 
worse  than  useless  to  us  if  they  know  it  to  be 
done  by  you.  Now  I  think  not  that  you  have 
been  tracked  hither ;  but  I  have  been  closely 
haunted  for  some  days  past,  so  that  I  was  sore 
put  to  it  to  get  free.  It  happened,  however, 
some  years  ago,  when  I  was  at  Rome  and  unre- 
generate,  that  one  calling  himself  the  Bishop  of 
Koss  gave  me  the  secret  of  certain  passages 
which  lead  from  the  Prior's  House  at  St.  An- 
drews to  the  Haven.  The  knowledge  thereof  is 
now  to  few  ;  but  as  I  could  not,  without  spiting 
our  purpose,  come  away  openly,  I  made  my  exit 
underground.  Doubtless  they  still  watch  the 
place,  and  will  be  there  to-morrow  morning 
when  I  am  disjuning  at  Falkland." 

"  But  we  might  have  met  in  the  fields." 

"  We  might ;  but  if  I  have  been  tracked  hither 
there  is  a  better  chance  of  your  escaping  un- 
known than  if  we  were  observed  together  in 
the  fields.  And  that  is  the  important  point. 
Now,  listen,  for  we  may  not  stay  many  minutes ; 
we  must  not  be  seen  here." 


219 


He  had  need  to  bo  quick,  lor  the  crimson  glow 
in  the  east  was  growing  larger  and  deeper  in 
tint,  and  the  clamor  from  the  birds  on  the  shores 
of  the  loch  had  become  almost  deafening.  J>ut 
it  was  still  very  dark. 

"  Here,  Andrew,"  continued  my  friend,  "  is  a 
safe-conduct  for  you  when  you  are  across  the 
Border,  which  will  be  to-night,  if  I  mistake  not, 
or  to-morrow  morning.  And  this  is  a  letter  you 
will  deliver  to  the  Master  of  Glamis." 

"  To  London  T'  said  I,  in  some  dismay. 

"  Nay,  to  Newcastle.  I  forgot  you  would 
scarce  know,  for  it  hath  been  kept  secret.  The 
Master  of  Glamis  is  at  Newcastle,  you  can  guess 
for  what.  You  will  seek  not  for  the  Master,  but 
Mr.  Lion,  at  the  direction  written  hereon,  and 
the  letter,  as  well  as  tlie  safe-conduct,  are  on  be- 
half of  Captain  Brown.  You  are  Captain  Brown 
for  the  occasion." 

"  I  like  not,"  said  I,  "  to  misknow  my  own 
name." 

""Well,  it  is  a  thing  we  must  all  do  in  these 
times  if  we  would  live.  You  must  take  thino-s 
as  you  find  them.  You  will  do  it  to  save  your 
own  life  and  the  lives  of  your  friends,  and  for 
any  other  things  you  may  have  an  e_ye  to  in  this 
country ;  for,  if  all  tales  be  true,  there  are  such 
things  for  you,  Andrew  Eviot." 


220 


"  I  understand  you  not ;  but  you  have  made 
me  sure  on  the  other  side  of  the  Border.  Have 
you  thought  of  how  I  am  to  reach  the  Border 
from  this  side  V 

"  Well,"  he  said,  with  some  hesitation,  "  we  all 
have  to  run  some  risk.  I  reckoned  that  you 
might  travel  without  notice  as  far  as  Leith ;  the 
passages  are  not  watched  for  you.  On  Leith 
sands  a  party  of  my  Lord  of  Bothwell's  men 
Avill  await  you ;  they  have  been,  so  far,  on  busi- 
ness of  their  own,  but  a^ou  had  best  not  ask  them 
what  it  was.  You  can  ride  with  them  as  far  as 
you  please,  or  leave  them  when  they  are  clear 
of  the  Lothians.  The  rest  of  the  way  is  easy 
enough." 

"  But  what  is  the  purpose  of  all  this  ?" 

"Nqw,  mark  me,  my  Captain.  Our  native 
Prince  is  on  the  point  of  concluding  a  League 
with  the  Queen  of  England,  which  Avill  give  him 
a  sura  of  money  in  annual  rent  which  would  turn 
the  head  of  any  Scot  in  this  sweet  kingdom  of 
ours.  If  this  be  done  while  my  Lord  of  Arran 
sits  at  the  stern  and  steers  the  ship  there  is  an 
end  of  you  and  me,  for  there  will  be  no  further 
quarrel  between  him  and  the  Queen  of  England. 
Of  course  this  must  not  be.  Our  only  hope  is 
to  have  the  banished  Lords  set  loose — we  can 
make  no  head  here  without  them — and  to  gain 


221 


that  we  must  shuffle  the  cards.  The  old  woman 
has  brought  those  poor  devils  to  poverty  and 
misery  because  they  took  her  advice  ;  for  her  I 
go  in  daily  dread  of  six  inches  of  cold  steel;  and, 
in  sooth,  she  has  left  the  whole  of  us  to  tlie  mercy 
of  the  devil. 

"  Well,  we  have  no  choice  but  to  force  her 
hand.  The  AVardens  of  the  Middle  March  will 
hold  a  day  of  truce  on  the  2Gtli  of  this  month, 
and  —  'tis  no  hard  matter  —  there  will  be  then 
such  a  scene  as  will  flutter  Hampton  Court.  The 
old  she-devil  who  rules  the  roost  there  is  a  wom- 
an of  a  proud  stomach,  and  she  will  not  easily 
forgive  it.  I  will  take  care  that  it  is  laid  at  my 
Lord  of  Arran's  door — fear  not  for  that.  It  will 
be  for  you  to  see  that  the  thing  is  done — always 
under  the  style  and  title  of  Captain  Brown." 

"  But  I  must  have  some  more  definite  instruc- 
tions than  these." 

"  The  Master  of  Glamis  will  tell  you  all  you 
desire  to  know.  I  have  told  you  enough  to  car- 
ry you  to  Mr.  Lion,  at  Newcastle.  Now,  An- 
drew, lad,  this  is  a  meeting  for  business,  and  I 
do  not  ask  you  to  forgive  my  abruptness,  for  I 
know  you  understand  such  matters.  But  it  will 
not  be  long  before  we  meet  under  very  different 
circumstances."' 

I  have  never  wavered  in  mv  admiration  for 


222 


the  extraordinary  skill  and  genius  of  this  man, 
and  I  can  truly  say  that  I  never  knew  one  who 
had  so  great  a  power  over  me.  He  was  very 
young,  but  he  had  the  craft  of  a  man  of  seventy ; 
and  in  his  intercourse  with  men  he  had  a  charm 
which  was  due  not  solely  to  his  youth  or  the 
grace  of  his  manners,  but  to  the  sympathy  he 
showed  to  all  things  human.  If  he  fell,  as  he 
did  some  years  after  this,  into  one  of  the  pitfalls 
laid  for  him,  I  can  only  say  in  his  purgation  that 
he  partook  of  the  frailties  to  which  all  men  are 
subject  who  fly  at  the  highest  game.  But  to  me, 
as  I  have  reason  to  say,  he  was  a  true  and  con- 
stant friend,  and  his  misfortune  grieved  me  sorely. 
After  our  business  was  concluded  we  Avalked 
together  towards  the  point  where  he  had  landed, 
speaking  of  things  indifferent  and  heedless  of 
danger.  But  when  we  were  not  far  from  the 
spot  I  seized  him  by  the  arm  and  bade  him  lie 
down.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from 
the  shore  of  the  Inch  were  two  boats,  api:>arent- 
ly  at  anchor;  the  boat  which  brought  him  had 
vanished.  Once  on  the  ground,  and  seeing  this 
unexpected  sight,  I  bade  him  follow  me,  and, 
crawling  on  my  hands  and  knees,  made  the  best 
of  my  way  towards  the  southern  side  of  the  isl- 
and. When  we  were  sufficiently  out  of  sight  of 
the  strange  boats  1  rose  to  my  feet,  and,  again 


223 


seizing  hiin  by  the  wrist,  drew  liim  towards  my 
boat.  For  a  moment  he  resisted,  and  seemed  to 
consider ;  then  he  relented,  and  we  both  ran  at 
the  top  of  our  speed.  To  my  great  relief  the 
boat  was  where  I  left  it,  and  the  men  were  wait- 
ing at  their  oars.  No  word  was  spoken,  and  we 
pushed  off  at  once  and  headed  for  the  point  from 
which  I  had  embarked. 

I  doubted  not  that  these  men  were  trusty,  but 
we  dared  not  speak  freely  before  them.  We 
could  not  with  safety  make  use  of  Latin  ;  but, 
although  there  was  a  risk  in  it,  Ave  spoke  in 
French,  for  speak  we  must,  and  time  was  short. 

"  Understand  you  that  V  said  I. 

"  Not  entirely." 

"  "Well,  you  have  been  tracked,  or,  what  comes 
to  the  same  thing,  you  have  been  observed  on 
your  Avay  hither,  or  you  have  a  traitor  among 
your  men." 

"  Thank  3^ou  for  the  last  suggestion ;  I  fear  it 
is  too  true  to  the  mark,  for  a  man  above  corrup- 
tion is  hardly  to  be  found."  He  might  well  say 
so,  who  knew  his  own  history  so  well. 

'•  They  surprised  your  men,"  said  I,  '•  where 
you  left  them,  gagged  them,  and  rowed  out  some 
distance  from  shore,  the  better  to  observe.  And 
here  comes  in  the  wisdom  of  your  precautions, 
wliich  I  Avas  inclined  to  scoff  at.     It  has  not  oc- 


224 


curred  to  them  that  there  was  ctiiother  boat  on 
this  side  of  the  Inch,  and  they  will  lie  off  where 
they  are  until  the  light  comes,  in  the  expectation 
that  they  Avill  then  take  3'ou  without  trouble." 

"  It  is  like  enough,"  he  said,  ruefully, 

"  Well,  you  must  come  with  me  as  far  as  Edin- 
burgh, where  you  will  be  safe  until  you  can  bring 
your  friends  together." 

"  Nay,"  he  replied,  "  I  am  not  so  witless  as 
that.  I  cannot  be  absent  from  the  Court  and 
my  master  while  this  League  with  England  is  in 
the  wind.  They  have  played  me  a  trick,  but  I 
will  play  them  a  better  one  in  return.  Leave  me 
to  go  my  wa3'S  when  we  land,  and  ride  for  your 
life.  I  know  every  inch  of  the  ground.  What- 
ever happens,  you  must  not  be  found  here.  The 
ship  waits  for  you  at  Kingorn." 

And  so  it  went.  We  gave  our  boatmen  more 
drink-silver  than  they  were  used  to  see,  for  a 
good  service  deserves  to  be  well  paid,  and  if  ever 
good  service  was  done  it  was  this.  Then  he  van- 
ished into  the  thicket,  while  I  started  at  a  round 
pace  for  Kingorn,  followed  by  Carryg  and  John 
Sloan. 

As  we  hoped,  I  met  with  no  difficulties.  If 
my  departure  from  Strathearn  wxre  known,  it 
seemed  that  none  took  much  notice  of  it.  What- 
ever might  be  thought  of  the  purpose  of  my 


225 


companion  on  St.  Serf's  Inch,  mine  at  least  was 
unknown ;  and  I  had  cause  to  think  that  even 
my  presence  on  the  island  had  passed  without 
suspicion.  However  that  might  be,  the  pas- 
sage of  tlie  water  was  not  spied  upon  for  me, 
and  it  was  still  early  morning  when  I  landed 
at  Leith. 

A  score  or  so  of  horsemen  were  grouped  to- 
gether on  the  sands  whom  I  naturally  assumed 
to  be  my  Lord  of  Bothwell's  men.  But  they 
gave  me  no  time  for  inquiry,  for  I  had  no  soon- 
er hailed  their  leader  than  he  signed  to  me  to 
fall  in,  and  started  his  troop  at  a  round  trot. 
This  man — who  was  one  named  Peter  Bell,  but 
called  by  his  friends  and  enemies  Gelly  Jock — 
told  me  that  his  orders  were  to  wait  for  the  in- 
coming of  the  Kingorn  boat  and  no  longer,  and 
that  he  knew  me  on  the  instant  by  the  descrip- 
tion furnished  to  him. 

"  Ye  see,"  he  said,  "  that  time  is  siller  to  poor 
lads  like  us  fra  the  Border,  who  must  live  by 
honest  trade." 

In  truth  the  company  presented  a  strange  sight 
on  this  ride.  They  took  with  them  a  large  num- 
ber of  led  horses — apparently  tliey  dealt  for  the 
most  part  in  horse-flesh.  They  had  not  been  sat- 
isfied to  come  abroad  with  one  dagger  and  one 
brac('  of  [)istols  apiece,  for  they  literally  bristled 


226 


with  deadly  weapons,  some  of  the  latest  fash- 
ion, and  others  such  as  men  had  used  in  the  days 
of  Halidon  Hill.  From  their  saddle-bows  hung 
a  profusion  of  hacquebuts,  petronels,  snaphances, 
knives,  whingers,  and  daggers,  which  men  are 
not  used  to  carry  abroad  at  one  time  from  their 
own  dwellings.  One  man  had  a  bagpipe,  an- 
other had  three  pairs  of  spurs,  others  had  vari- 
ous articles  of  domestic  utility.  I  could  scarce 
commit  so  serious  a  breach  of  courtesy  as  to  ask 
whence  came  this  merchandise ;  but  Peter  Bell 
looked  with  favor  upon  a  jest,  if  only  it  were 
grim  enough  to  take  his  fancy. 

*'  Trade  is  brisk,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Aye,  it's  no  that  bad,"  he  replied,  looking 
lovingly  at  a  pair  of  new  pistols,  which  he  had 
evidently  negotiated  on  this  trip  ;  ''  it  never  was 
better ;  but  how  long  will  it  last,  man  ?  Yon's  a 
sad  question  for  Border  lads.  The  exchange  is 
a'  in  our  favor  the  noo,  and,  as  ye  see,  we  are 
not  sleeping  away  our  time.  But  if  a'  tales  be 
true,  his  Highness  is  for  entering  into  what  they 
ca'  a  League  with  the  English.  If  he  does  that, 
God  pity  us,  there  will  be  no  more  trading  for 
these  braw  lads.  Man,  there  will  no  be  a  horse 
stolen — or,  as  I  might  mair  justly  say,  bought  or 
sold — on  either  side  of  the  Border.  The  coun- 
try will  be  ruined;  but  there  will  not  be  sa  mony 


237 


Scotts  and  Elliots  cheat  the  widdie  as  docs  the 
day." 

I  parted  with  this  good  man  and  patriot  in 
Teviotdale.  I  think  we  had  a  regard  for  each 
other. 

We  travelled  thence  to  within  a  mile  or  two 
of  Newcastle  without  challenge  or  greeting  from 
Scot  or  Englishman.  The  light  failed  before  we 
reached  the  city  on  the  evening  of  the  second 
day,  and  our  beasts  were  spent,  so  that  our  prog- 
ress was  slow,  when  a  considerable  party,  com- 
ing from  behind,  rode  past  us.  For  the  most 
part  they  noticed  us  not ;  but  one,  having  ob- 
served us  earnestly,  said  to  his  fellow  : 

"  Who  may  these  be  ?  The  buck's  cloak  hath 
a  turn  I  have  not  seen  before." 

"  More  lousy  Scots,  most  like,"  was  the  reply, 
given  in  a  grumbling  tone. 

"  Ha !"  cried  the  other  to  me.  "  Who  are  you, 
sir?  AVhat  is  your  name,  and  what  may  your 
business  be  here  ?" 

"And  who  may  you  be?"  I  returned,  some- 
what angered.  "  It  is  not  my  habit  to  give  my 
name  to  the  first  who  hath  the  impertinence  to 
ask  it." 

Whereupon  he  who  had  spoken  slightingly  of 
my  nation  raised  his  wand,  and  one  cried  from 
behind  :  "  Fie  !  if  I  could  cut  the  thrapplc  out  of 


228 


him."  But  when  I  had  drawn  m}'-  sword  the 
other  gentleman,  with  some  appearance  of  good- 
humor,  interposed. 

"  Come,  come,"  he  said,  "  I  can  have  none  of 
this.  I  had  best  tell  3'ou,  sir,  as  you  appear  to 
be  a  stranger,  that  I  am  Lord  Ilunsdon,  the 
General  Warden  of  the  Marches,  and  this  is  Sir 
John  Forster." 

"  If  your  lordship  had  begun  by  telling  me 
that,  the  questions  had  been  answered  ere  this. 
But  it  is  scarce  kindly  to  allow  one  to  ride  at 
your  elbow  who  insults  strangers  Avho  have  pro- 
voked him  not,  and  doubtless  would  refuse  the 
ordinary  satisfaction  due  to  a  gentleman." 

"  Sir  John  Forster  is  a  man  of  warm  passions 
and  hot  words ;  but  believe  me,  sir,  he  hath  an 
honest  heart." 

"  I  must  have  liberty  to  doubt  that.  I  never 
knew  one  of  a  generous  nature  to  insult  strangers 
who  were  guests  in  his  country." 

"  And  whose  guest  may  you  be  ?"  roared  the 
knight  at  me.  "  Who  bade  you  come  to  New- 
castle ?" 

"  I  carry  your  own  Queen's  safe-conduct  in 
my  doublet ;  and  if  she  be  satisfied  to  give  it  me, 
am  I  to  account  to  you  for  what  my  business 
is?" 

Whereupon  the  two  spoke  together  apart,  and 


229 


my  Lord  at  length  told  me  that  I  must  attend 
bim  until  lie  was  satisfied  as  to  my  safe-conduct 
and  my  business  in  England.  In  effect  I  was 
bis  prisoner,  and  might  be  detained  for  a  month 
while  inquiries  were  being  made.  So  I  rode  into 
Newcastle  by  the  New  Gate  with  my  Lord 
Ilunsdon's  part}'',  whereas  I  should  have  been 
constrained  to  wait  outside  until  the  morning 
but  for  this  chance. 

By  the  gate  I  noticed  one  going  towards  the 
city  wall  whose  face  and  figure  attracted  me. 
His  strongly  marked  features  betrayed  his  na- 
tionality, and  although  he  was  but  soberly  attired 
there  were  several  apparently  in  attendance  on 
him,  and  his  demeanor  was  such  as  to  catch  a 
stranger's  attention.  As  I  glanced  at  him  I  saw 
that  he  looked  at  me  curiously  ;  and  methought 
I  might  not  have  another  chance,  so  I  cried  out 
loudly  to  him : 

"  Sir,  I  am  a  Scot  travelling  with  the  Queen's 
safe-conduct  to  visit  one  in  this  city,  and  without 
offence,  warrant,  or  suspicion,  my  Lord  Ilunsdon 
leadeth  me  Avith  him  a  prisoner," 

But  when  this  person  heard  me  he  turned  his 
back  and  hurried  away,  as  one  who  would  hear 
no  more  of  such  matters. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

My  Lord  Hunsdon  carried  me  witli  him  to  his 
lodging,  where  he  gave  me  in  charge  to  some  of 
his  servants,  saying  that  he  would  speak  with  me 
in  a  few  minutes.  The  treatment  I  had  from 
his  servants  was  not  over  civil,  but  I  could  bet- 
ter bear  it  than  the  bluff  insolence  of  Sir  John 
Forster.  As  the  minutes  went  by  they  became 
weary  of  their  charge,  and,  thrusting  me  into  a 
small  cabinet  or  chamber  at  the  rear  of  their 
apartment,  turned  the  lock  upon  me. 

One  hour  went  by,  and  then  a  second.  I  be- 
gan to  think  I  was  forgotten,  and  to  look  about 
me  with  a  view  to  passing  the  night  in  this 
wretched  cabin,  when  the  door  was  thrown  open 
and  I  was  bidden  to  come  out.  But  this  was  no 
summons  to  answer  for  myself  to  the  General 
Warden  of  the  Marches,  for  the  gentleman  I 
had  seen  at  ISTew  Gate  stood  within  the  apart- 
ment, and,  advancing  to  me  and  taking  me  by 
the  arm,  marched  me  so  into  the  street.  This 
he  did  without  so  much  as  uttering  one  word. 
When  we  were  outside  he  bade  me  hold  my 


231 


peace  until  he  told  me  to  speak,  and  then  he  led 
me  back  to  the  Gate,  and  so  on  to  the  city  wall. 
We  were  followed  by  the  persons  I  had  seen 
with  him  before,  all  heavily  armed,  each  man 
carrying  a  brace  of  pistols.  At  last  he  turned 
to  me  and  said  : 

"  I  have  had  a  hard  job  to  convince  that  old 
pig  -  headed  Englishman ;  but  it  is  done,  sir, 
though  at  some  cost,  as  we  shall  find.  But,  to 
do  things  regularly,  3^0 u  are  here  to  visit — " 

"Mr.  Lion,  at  Newcastle." 

"  Precisely.  Well,  young  man,  your  wits  are 
strong  enough  to  have  told  you  ere  this  that  I 
am  Mr.  Lion ;  but  if  you  wish  to  be  assured  that 
I  am  I  will  whisper  to  you  one  or  two  matters 
which  will  satisfy  you." 

As  I  insisted  upon  this  being  done,  he  whis- 
pered a  name  and  some  other  matters  in  my  ear 
which  were  more  than  enough  for  the  purpose. 
Then  he  asked  for  my  letter  of  commendation, 
and,  after  glancing  at  it  by  the  light  of  a  torch 
and  putting  it  away  in  his  pouch,  he  took  me 
again  by  the  arm,  and  began  afresh  our  walk 
upon  the  walls. 

"  I  had  the  devil's  ain  shind}'  with  yon  creat- 
ure Hunsdon.  He's  like  a  thrawen  fiend  when 
the  name  of  Scot  is  but  mentioned.  At  first  he 
was  for  not  seeing  me,  but  I  sent  him  a  message 


233 


which  I  knew  he  would  understand ;  I  cannot, 
however,  with  honor  repeat  it  to  you.  He  was 
but  ill  pleased  to  see  me,  the  auld  sinner ;  and 
when  he  learned  that  I  sought  the  release  of  his 
prisoner,  he  was  for  putting-  me  to  the  door 
again.  For  he  is  a  miglity  proud  cock,  and 
crows  ower  loudly  on  his  ain  dunghill.  But  I 
minded  him  that,  before  he  turned  me  away,  he 
might  as  well  ask  my  name,  and  he  saw  some- 
thing in  my  face  which  made  him  believe  that  I 
had  given  him  good  advice.  And  when  I  had  men- 
tioned to  him  a  name  I  need  not  repeat  here,  for 
even  these  accursed  English  stones  have  lugs,  he 
burst  out  into  a  great  anger,  asking  how  I  dared 
come  there  when  the  Queen  his  mistress  had  or- 
dered me  to  remain  in  London,  and  threatening 
to  send  me  to  join  you  down  the  stair. 

"  Well,  Captain  David,  I  took  his  tantrums 
very  quietly,  with  now  and  then  a  laugh  which 
I  could  not  smother.  And  when  he  was  done  I 
told  him  that  he  would  have  to  pipe  another  tune 
to  me,  else  he  was  like  to  learn  ere  many  days 
were  passed  more  about  Mr.  Lion  than  he  thought. 
Whereupon  I  clapped  upon  his  nose  some  papers 
which  I  thought  would  be  wholesome  to  those 
who  breathe  this  foul  Newcastle  air ;  and  when 
my  cock  sees  the  signature  to  them  the  feathers 
of  his  tail  fall  down  and  all  the  fight  dies  out  of 


233 


him.  But  he  sware  raaist  horribly  against  the 
Queen  his  mistress,  as  he  calls  her,  and  my  Lord 
Burghley,  saying  that  the  Scots  are  left  free  to 
come  and  go  as  they  like  in  this  city,  that  they 
parade  the  walls  at  midnight  in  great  numbers 
and  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  that  even  the  Gen- 
eral Warden  of  the  Marches  may  not  find  a  fault 
in.  them.  But  the  body  kenned  that  I  had  him 
by  the  lugs,  and  he  had  no  choice  but  to  let 
you  go. 

"  Now,  sir,  there's  a  bad  side  to  this,  and  I 
would  not  for  much  that  it  had  chanced.  My 
Lord  Ilunsdon  is  the  sworn  friend  of  the  Earl  of 
Arran,  and  ye  need  have  no  doubt  that  yon 
horseman  making  to  the  gate  carrieth  across  the 
Border  the  news  that  I  am  here.  The  auld  pock- 
pudding  Ilunsdon  would  never  have  nosed  it 
out  for  himself ;  but  I  could  not  have  got  your 
release  without  telling,  and  now  he  will  write 
and  tell  his  mistress  what  a  smart  fellow  he  is. 
When  Captain  James  knows  the  news  he  will 
not  lose  his  time,  and  I  shall  have  to  look  to  my 
own  life  here.  But,  God  be  thanked !  there  is 
one  thing  he  does  not  and  cannot  know.  He 
may  not  guess  what  Captain  David  Brown  is 
going  to  do  on  the  2Gth  day  of  this  month." 

"  Captain  David,"  said  I,  "  does  not  know  him- 
self." 


"  Ah !  I  forgot,"  said  the  Master,  with  a  grim 
laugh ;  "  that  pompous  old  pumpkin  hath  so  in- 
fected me  that  I  scarce  think  of  anything  but 
his  purple  face  when  he  saw  my  writings.  But 
to  business.  David,  man,  we  found  none  so  meet 
as  you  to  do  this  thing  for  us.  If  you  fail — 
well,  you  know  we  are  powerful  for  little.  If 
you  do  it — I  can  speak  for  others,  and  those  not 
of  the  least — your  service  will  never  be  forgot- 
ten, either  by  them  or  the  Master  of  Glamis.  I 
mean  by  this  that  our  gratitude  will  be  very 
plainly  made  known  to  you.  To  be  short,  the 
Laird  of  Ferniherst  rides  on  the  26th  of  this 
month  to  meet  yonder  noisy,  empty-headed  auld 
bottle,  Forster.  I  will  give  you  a  letter  written 
by  my  Lord  of  Mar  to  one  Halyday,  his  oflScer 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Border,  charging  him  to 
furnish  you  with  a  force  which  will  be  not  less 
than  half  a  hundred  lances.  You  will  take  these 
men  with  you  on  the  morning  of  the  26th,  and 
you  will  so  carry  the  matter  that  the  day  of 
truce  shall  be  set  at  naught,  and  Sir  John  Fors- 
ter's  force  driven  off  the  ground.  That  will  be 
enough  for  our  purpose,  for  it  will  cause  an 
earthquake  with  a  good  deal  of  noise  at  Hamp- 
ton Court.  The  details  I  must  leave  to  your 
discretion,  for  I  would  not  hamper  you  with  in- 
structions, well  knowing  that  one  in  Newcastle 


235 


caunot  direct  the  movements  of  a  force  at  Cock- 
law.  I  would  only  counsel  you  not  to  expose 
yourself  too  much,  as  Forster  and  some  of  his 
people  have  seen  you  here." 

"  I  think  there  will  be  no  danger  of  that," 
said  I ;  "  but  as  you  have  touched  the  subject,  I 
would  say  that  I  ride  a  horse  which  is  so  marked 
that  many  would  recognize  it  with  ease.  More- 
over, it  is  sore  spent  with  travel,  and  my  men 
and  I  can  hardly  start  on  the  moment  without 
giving  the  cattle  a  rest." 

"  David,  this  is  a  job  in  which  delay  is  impos- 
sible. You  must  pass  out  of  the  gate  to-morrow 
morning  as  soon  as  it  opens.  Leave  the  horses 
to  me ;  I  will  find  them  for  j'ou,  and  I  will 
keep  yours  until — not  for  long,  I  trow.  I  have 
said  all  I  have  to  say  hero,  for  the  open  air  is  the 
only  place  for  such  talk ;  but  I  will  now  show 
you  something  within  about  which  we  need  not 
speak." 

He  thereupon  took  me  to  his  lodging,  where 
he  showed  me  a  plat  or  plan  of  the  Middle  March, 
whereon  the  valleys  of  the  Bowmont  and  Kale 
water  were  displayed,  flowing  to  the  north  from 
the  Border,  being  parallel  to  each  other  and  but 
a  mile  or  two  a])art.  I  saw  also  the  route  the 
Warden  of  Scotland  would  take  in  approaching 
the  place  of  meeting  at  Cocklaw,  which  lay,  as 


236 


it  seemed,  about  the  sources  of  the  Bowmont 
water. 

Assuredly  I  was  weary  when  I  lay  down  to 
rest.  My  mind  was  so  excited  that  I  would 
gladly  have  gone  without  sleep  ;  but  the  Master 
took  upon  himself  all  our  arrangements,  which 
he  said  were  his  own,  and  even  roused  me  in  the 
early  morning  with  his  proper  hand.  Thus  it 
came  about  that,  before  we  had  been  twelve 
hours  in  Newcastle,  and,  I  must  own,  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  my  part}",  we  were  well  started  on 
our  way  back  to  Scotland. 

The  letter  which  I  carried  with  me  ran  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Charles  Halyday, — Be  it  known  to  you  that 
the  Laird  of  Ferniherst,  the  Warden  of  the  Mid- 
dle March,  will  ride  on  the  26th  day  of  this 
month  from  Kelso  to  hold  a  day  of  truce  with 
the  Warden  of  England  at  a  place  indifferent 
nigh  to  Cocklaw.  We  therefore  bid  you  to  warn 
our  tenants  within  the  County  of  Roxburgh  to 
be  in  readiness  to  ride  with  him.  You  will  also 
give  warning  to  Andrew  Ladely,  of  the  Thirty 
Acres,  to  concur  with  you  therein.  This  letter 
will  come  to  you  by  the  hands  of  Captain  David 
Brown,  under  whose  commands  our  tenants  will 
place  themselv^es ;  and  we  charge  them  through 


237 


you  to  obey  him  in  all  matters,  being  one  of 
skill  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  art  of  war, 
as  if  we  ourself  were  present.  You  will  con- 
ceive that  this  movement  must  be  kept  as  secret 
as  possible,  even  from  the  Laird  of  Ferniherst ; 
but  in  case  any  should  bide  from  the  raid,  you 
may  assure  them — always  in  private — that  ere 
many  weeks  are  gone  we  will  return  to  our  own, 
and  we  shall  not  be  ignorant  of  the  names  of 
those  who  are  contrary  to  our  wishes.  You  will 
learn  further  in  this  matter  from  Captain  David 
when  he  is  with  you,  and  will  in  all  things  obey 
his  wishes. — At  London,  this  12th  day  of  July 
1585.  Mar. 

"  To  Charles  Halyday, 

"  Qui-  officer  in  the  County  of  Roxburgh." 

If  my  business  had  been  in  Strathearn,  or  Fife, 
or  the  Lothians,  I  should  have  come  stealthily 
upon  the  worthy  officer.  But  in  the  country  of 
the  Kers  I  knew  that  I  breathed  a  different  air. 
The  hold  of  the  Court  over  the  Borders  was  com- 
paratively slight ;  and  where  Charles  Ilalyday 
dwelt  there  were  no  furious  searches  after  men, 
for  if  there  had  been,  in  those  days  no  man 
sought  for  there  would  have  been  found. 

Charles  Ilalyday  was  my  Lord  of  Mar's  as- 
sured man,  and  no  easy  part  had  he  to  play 


238 


while  his  lord  and  master  was  in  disgrace  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Border,  He  went  over  with 
me  the  list  of  tenants,  some  of  whom  he  refused 
to  warn,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  be  danger- 
ous to  tell  them  so  much.  But  with  Andrew 
Ladeley's  men  he  reckoned  that  at  least  fifty 
horsemen  would  answer  to  the  call,  although 
their  feudal  superior  was  disgraced  and  banished 
from  his  country. 

If  they  had  but  known  the  service  expected  of 
them  I  doubt  whether  a  dozen  of  these  men 
would  have  shown  their  faces  at  the  rendezvous. 
But  all  the  information  they  had  was  to  meet 
beyond  Ilounam  Kirk  at  six  hours  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  26th  of  the  month  on  the  service  of 
my  Lord  of  Mar  and  the  Warden,  to  put  them- 
selves there  under  the  orders  of  Captain  Brown, 
and  to  be  secret.  These  were  men  of  rare  spirit ; 
and  once  in  the  open  were  likely,  as  it  proved,  to 
turn  back  for  no  man. 

I  chose  the  glen  beyond  Hounam  for  the  ren- 
dezvous because,  having  intelligence  that  the 
Warden  would  lie  at  Kelso  on  the  night  of  the 
25th,  I  knew  that  he  would  ride  to  the  March 
by  the  Bowmont  Water,  and  it  was  my  part  to 
travel  by  another  route.  So  it  came  to  pass  that, 
at  six  hours  on  a  rare  summer  morning  in  the 
year  1585, 1  found  myself  face  to  face  with  more 


239 


than  fifty  horsemen,  as  proper  a  set  of  men  as  I 
ever  saw.  And  great  need  they  had  to  be  so,  for 
no  man  who  could  not  light  for  his  life  mifjlit 
live  on  that  border. 

I  made  them  a  little  speech,  in  which  I  told 
them  not  much  beyond  that  there  was  a  suspi- 
cion of  foul  play,  and  that  it  was  the  wish  of  my 
Lord  that  they  should  be  near  the  spot  where  the 
Wardens  were  to  meet,  but  that  their  presence 
should  not  be  disclosed  to  the  Laird  of  Ferni- 
herst  unless  it  should  become  necessary.  There- 
fore some  caution  must  be  used  in  approaching 
the  spot,  so  as  not  to  create  an  unnecessary 
panic. 

Thereupon  I  drew  the  whole  party  to  the  left 
into  a  path  which  strikes  over  the  hills  towards 
the  Bowmont  AVater,  and  when  we  came  behind 
Mow  Law  I  halted  them  for  a  space,  sending  two 
men  to  the  top  of  the  Law  with  instructions  to 
look  down  the  Bowmont  valley.  These  men 
Avere  placed  so  far  on  our  side  of  the  Law  that, 
while  they  could  see  everything  in  the  valley  on 
the  other  side,  the  AYarden's  party  looking  their 
way  would  have  seen  nothing,  if  it  Avere  not  their 
heads.  So  we  had  due  warning  of  the  Warden's 
coming. 

Once  we  knew  that  the  AVarden  had  passed, 
on  his  way  up  the  water,  the  i)oint  where  the 


240 


Calroust  joins  the  Bowmont,  we  moved  forward 
again  until  we  halted  beneath  a  steep  knowe  on 
the  Kelsocleuch  Burn,  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  place  of  meeting. 

At  this  point  the  March  between  Scotland  and 
England  runs  on  the  line  from  which  the  water 
falls  to  the  north  and  south.  Therefore  two  par- 
ties travelling,  one  from  the  north  and  one  from 
the  south,  to  meet  each  other,  must  gradually 
ascend  for  many  miles,  and  then  are  scarce  like 
to  see  each  other  until  they  meet.  At  first  I  left 
my  men  in  the  Kelsocleuch  glen,  mounting  my- 
self the  shoulder  of  the  hill  to  see  what  was 
going  forward  ;  but  by  degrees  I  advanced  them 
until  they  were  only  hid  from  the  Warden's  party 
by  the  round  of  the  hill. 

The  Laird  of  Ferniherst  was  first  upon  the 
ground,  and  had  with  him  close  upon  four  hun- 
dred men,  a  number  somewhat  exceeding  the 
usual  force ;  but  the  Warden  on  the  opposite 
side  was  Sir  John  Forster,  whom  no  Scottish 
Warden  would  meet  without  certain  precautions. 
There  was  also,  as  there  always  was,  a  large 
gathering  of  the  rascals  of  Teviotdale,  some 
openly  crowding  upon  the  Warden's  force,  and 
others  lurking  in  little  corners  to  see  what  prey 
miglit  by  accident  come  their  way.  To  this  Sir 
John  Forster  I  had  no  liking,  and  though  I  had 


241 


more  serious  reasons  for  being  where  I  was,  I 
was  also  glad  to  be  there  for  his  sake.  He  passed 
for  a  blulf,  honest  soldier.  lie  may  have  been 
brave  enough ;  and  as  for  soldiering,  he  was 
good  for  hard  knocks ;  but  of  the  military  art, 
as  it  was  understood  in  Europe,  he  knew  noth- 
ing. As  for  his  honesty,  we  Scots  who  know 
the  figure  he  cut  in  the  affair  of  the  Reidswire 
and  this  matter  of  Cocklaw  can  say  two  words 
to  that. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  "Wardens  met  and 
had  begun  to  call  their  bills  when  a  little  dis- 
turbance was  begun.  An  English  horse-boy  was 
caught  in  the  act  of  stealing  a  pair  of  Scottish 
spurs,  which  I  have  little  doubt  had  been  skil- 
fully exposed  for  the  purpose  of  tempting  him. 
The  rascals  on  both  sides  ran  together,  and  I 
thought  my  moment  had  come.  I  had  divided  my 
men  into  three  companies,  each  stationed  to  the 
side,  and  a  little  to  the  rear,  of  each  other ;  and 
I  only  awaited  a  certain  signal,  but  it  came  not 
then.  The  Wardens  ran  out  of  their  tent,  and 
Sir  John  Forster  offering  to  deliver  the  culprit  to 
be  hanged,  if  need  be,  the  tumult  died  away,  and 
the  Wardens  went  back  to  fyle  a  bill  upon  Gyles 
Douglas,  of  Berop. 

But  the  tire  was  still  smouldering,  and  ere 
many  minutes  one  by  the  Wardens'  tent,  whom 

IG 


242 


I  had  been  watching,  held  up  his  hand.  Where- 
upon, before  any  one  well  knew  what  was  hap- 
pening, my  horse  were  thundering  through  the 
"Wardens'  camp.  Forster's  men  did  not  wait  for 
us,  but  scattered  like  chaff,  south,  east,  and  west. 
As  we  passed  the  Wardens'  tent  the  Laird  of 
Ferniherst  ran  out  with  his  drawn  sword,  and 
AYOuld  have  cut  down  the  man  who  rode  nearest 
to  him,  but  that  Forster  seized  him  round  the 
waist,  and  would  not  part  with  him,  because,  as 
I  heard  afterwards,  he  feared  that  his  whole  train 
would  have  been  put  to  the  sword  if  the  Scots 
Warden  had  left  them. 

It  happened  that  in  the  press  the  Lord  Rus- 
sell, the  eldest  son  of  the  Earl  of  Bedford,  was 
shot — whether  by  accident,  or  of  purpose,  or  by 
whom,  none  can  say.  But  he  had  no  more  right 
to  be  upon  the  ground  than  I  had,  and  he  had 
wandered  apart  from  the  AVardens'  tent  with 
some  of  his  own  people  when  he  met  his  death. 
It  was  no  part  of  my  design  to  shed  blood  if  it 
could  be  avoided ;  and  although  we  pushed  the 
pursuit  for  four  miles  into  English  ground,  no 
other  life  was  lost  on  either  side. 

As  may  be  supposed,  we  were  careful  not  to 
return  by  the  way  we  came.  When  I  had  rallied 
my  men  I  took  them  over  the  March  by  the  head 
of  Coquetdale  without  any  sort  of  hinderance. 


and  without  the  loss  of  a  single  life.  Most  of 
them  were  alive  to  the  necessity  for  secrecy  on 
this  raid,  and  I  had  little  dillicultv  in  restraining 
them  from  the  ordinar^^  amenities  of  the  JJorder ; 
but  in  some  the  taint  of  sin  was  too  strong  to  be 
wholly  suppressed,  and  there  were  a  few  sheep 
and  goats,  Avith  a  bullock  or  two,  in  our  ranks 
when  I  disbanded  them  by  Oxnam  Water. 

I  had  done  my  part  of  the  work.  And  as  one 
— he  was  an  Englishman  —  was  pleased  to  say 
afterwards  of  this  enterprise,  it  could  not  have 
happened  better.  It  was  for  others  to  do  the 
rest,  and  they  did  it  so  well  that  the  Queen  of 
England  pressed  for  the  delivery  of  my  Lord  of 
Arran,  and  the  King  my  master  cast  him  into 
the  Castle  of  St.  Andrews.  And  though  this 
man  was  sent  after  a  few  days  to  vegetate  at 
Kinneil,  and  in  the  end  broke  forth  and  regained 
the  King's  presence,  his  credit  with  the  English 
Queen  was  finally  destroyed. 


CHAPTER  XX 

I  NOW  found  that  Captain  David  Brown  was 
in  a  somewhat  narrow  shift.  It  was  scarce  likely 
that  any  would  know  him  for  Andrew  Eviot ; 
but  if  David  Brown  were  taken  in  Scotland  he 
would  be  delivered  out  of  hand  to  ray  Lord 
Hunsdon,  and  if  he  were  taken  in  England  he 
would  be  hanged  without  ceremony.  So  on 
neither  side  of  the  Border  could  he  well  be  com- 
fortable. 

On  the  whole,  I  judged  it  best  to  retire,  until 
matters  were  more  advanced,  into  the  Earl  of 
Both  well's  country ;  and  there  an  asylum  was 
cheerfully  offered  to  me  without  too  much  curi- 
osity as  to  my  reasons  for  seeking  it.  It  was 
enough  for  my  Lord  that  I  preferred  the  air  of 
Liddesdale  for  the  present.  From  beyond  the 
Hermitage  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Lion,  at  ISTewcastle, 
and  to  my  accomplice  of  St.  Serfs  Inch,  telling 
them  where  David  Brown  might  be  found,  and 
entreating  them  to  remember  him  Avhen  more 
serious  work  was  in  hand.  I  had  no  need  to 
speak  to  them  of  the  Wardens'  meeting  at  Cock- 


245 


law,  for  men  talked  of  nothing  else  for  a  nKjnth. 
Thereafter  I  fell  into  a  low,  monotonous  life, 
Avandcring  daily  about  the  Xine-Stane  Rig;  for 
time  drifted,  and  I  began  to  fear  that  nothing 
would  come  of  the  Cocklaw  Raid. 

On  the  Gth  of  August  the  King  rode  out  of 
St.  Andrews  for  Stirling.  It  was  said  that  the 
Plague  of  Pestilence  had  grown  apace,  so  that 
it  carried  off  no  less  than  four  thousand  per- 
sons, and  that  the  Court  became  alarmed  at  the 
increased  mortalit3\  But  I  know  not  whether 
such  was  the  true  reason,  for  the  house  of  Kin- 
neil,  where  my  Lord  of  Arran  was  ordered  to 
reside,  is  at  no  great  distance  from  Stirling. 
Moreover,  my  Lord  had  fitted  out  and  kept  in 
readiness  on  the  Western  Sea  certain  ships  for 
some  particular  of  his  own.  Many  designs  were 
put  to  these  ships;  but  there  were  some  who 
said  that  they  were  meant  to  carry  my  Lord  and 
his  Iliglmess,  if  need  be,  to  the  coast  of  France. 
Sure  it  is  that  letters  passed  every  day  between 
my  Lord  and  the  King,  and  my  Lady  made  fre- 
quent visits  to  Stirling  Castle. 

Then  came  news  that  the  Queen  would  give 
the  exiled  Lords  permission  to  go  abroad — to 
Germany,  it  was  said ;  though  when  slie  did,  as 
was  well  understood,  tliey  headed  straiglit  for 
the  Border.    Whereupon  my  Lord  of  Arran  broke 


246 


his  ward,  and  came  openly  to  the  Court ;  and 
there  ensued  some  space  of  time  during  which 
there  were  such  conspiracies  and  intrigues  as  no 
Christian  Court  hath  seen  the  hke,  either  before 
or  since.  For  my  Lord  of  Arran,  had  he  been 
able,  would  have  slain  the  Master  of  Gray  even 
in  the  King's  closet,  and  there  were  many  who 
would  have  slain  my  Lord  out  of  hand,  but  that 
they  had  no  chance.  For  neither  of  these  men 
could  lessen  the  favor  of  the  other  with  his  High- 
ness, and  both  were  so  closely  guarded  by  their 
friends  that  a  man  with  a  free  sword  could  not 
find  his  occasion.  But  Mr.  Edward  Wotton,  the 
English  ambassador,  trembled  at  his  own  shadow, 
and  at  last,  so  greatlj"  did  he  fear  it,  that  he 
mounted  a  horse  and  rode  in  haste  to  Berwick, 
leavino:  his  baggage  and  the  whole  of  his  train 
behind  him. 

And  there  were  many  other  motions  and  enter- 
prises. For  certain  blundering  hot-heads  had  a 
purpose  to  kidnap  the  King;  but  it  was  some 
carrion  bird  and  not  the  eagle  they  took  in  their 
toils.  Then  there  came  to  my  Lord  of  Arran 
sundry  boxes  of  bullion  from  that  fury  of  hell, 
the  Due  de  Guise,  and  it  was  reported  that  his 
Highness  would  entertain  the  Antichrist.  And 
this  was  said  with  some  show  of  reason;  but 
well  I  knew  that  the  Prince,  though  he  might 


247 


allow  others  to  put  it  forth  by  way  of  policy, 
had  no  thought  of  such  apostasy.  These  and 
many  other  designs  ran  through  the  Court  at 
Stirling,  until  men  with  the  coldest  heads  knew 
not  where  they  stood.  But  the  Queen  of  Eng- 
land as  yet  moved  not. 

The  time  seemed  long  to  me,  who  lived  not  in 
the  heat  of  these  intrigues,  and  who  dared  not 
to  go  near  them.  But  early  one  morning  there 
came  a  horseman  up  the  brae  to  the  house  in 
which  I  dwelt ;  and  the  horse  was  very  weary, 
from  which  I  gathered  that  his  rider  had  trav- 
elled through  the  night.  Such  a  sight  was  an 
event  there,  and  I  went  forward  to  meet  the 
stranger,  when,  to  my  astonishment,  my  eyes 
fell  upon  my  old  dragon  Barabbas. 

"Well,  old  trickster,"  cried  I,  "you  are  gen- 
erally an  ill  wind  to  me.  What  do  you  bring 
me  this  journey  V 

"  Even  a  letter.  Captain." 

"  Ah !  your  fingers  have  an  itch  for  letters," 
I  replied,  taking  the  packet  he  brought  forth 
from  his  pouch  and  breaking  it  open. 

It  was  from  my  Lochleven  friend,  and  told 
me  not  much  that  I  did  not  know,  lie  was 
grateful  for  what  I  had  done,  but  had  not  time 
to  write  further  upon  that.  He  had  a  very  anx- 
ious time,  but  nothing  he  had  gone  through  could 


248 


equal  what  was  before  bira.  Tbe  banisbed  Lords 
would  cross  tbe  Border  witbin  tbree  days  and 
meet  at  Kelso,  whither  he  bade  me  go  and 
seek  out  the  Master  of  Glamis,  who  would  as- 
suredly have  need  of  me.  But  until  the  crisis 
came  be  himself  was  constrained  to  tarry  with 
the  Court  in  the  midst  of  an  army  which,  out- 
wardly at  least,  was  hostile  to  his  friends. 
And  this  he  wrote  from  the  Castle  of  Stir- 
ling. 

When  I  bad  read  tbe  letter  I  raised  my  eyes 
and  saw  Barabbas  looking  at  me  with  a  strange 
expression. 

"  I  suppose,  sirrah,''  said  I,  "  you  know  all  that 
this  letter  contains." 

"  I  suppose  I  do.  Captain." 

"  Well,"  I  continued,  seeing  a  sort  of  grin  on 
his  ugly  mouth,  and  noticing  again  the  strange 
expression  of  his  eyes,  "  have  you  any  message 
to  give  me  by  word  of  mouth  T 

''  There  is  no  message." 

"  Then  why  stand  you  gaping  at  me  ?  Speak 
out,  man ;  what  is  it  ?" 

"  I  was  thinking,  sir,  I  bad  better  have  spoken 
to  ye  when  we  last  met." 

"  Better,  indeed,  my  man  ;  for  if  my  name  is 
Andrew  Eviot  you  will  have  to  answer  for  a 
good  deal  before  many  days  be  past." 


24!) 


"For  the  love  of  Christ,  dinna  speak  to  mo 
tliat  gate,  Captain." 

"You'll  hear  worse,  I  promise  3'ou,  before  all 
is  said  and  done." 

"  Speak  not  so,  I  beseech  you.  I  will  hide 
notiiing  from  ye,  and  I  have  somewhat  to  tell, 
if  only—" 

"  If  what,  you  rascal  ?  Think  you  I  will  make 
a  bargain  Avith  you  V 

"  Nay,  sir ;  but  hear  what  I  have  to  say,  and 
then  judge.  I  couldna  have  spoken  before  with- 
out betraying  a  confidence  which  even  a  ser- 
vant of  Captaiu  James  would  hold  sacred.  I 
confess  I  had  more  ado  with  your  affairs  than 
ye  will  like  to  hear;  but  it  moveth  me  that 
ye  will  pardon  what  I  did  when  ye  ken  what 
I  did  it  for.  Before  ye  came  to  Ruthven  Cas- 
tle there  was  a  lady  keepit  therein  with  some 
closeness— an  unfortunate  lady,  but  yet  gracious. 
And  because  she  was  unfortunate,  and  gracious 
even  to  Eusty  Rynian,  to  whom  no  man  was 
wont  to  speak  without  a  curse,  I  pitied  her. 
With  my  ain  hand  I  had  ta'en  her  father's 
horse  by  the  bridle  at  the  back  of  Benbuck, 
and  I  carried  him,  I  and  those  that  were  with 
me,  to  the  Fastcastle.  By  some  means  she  has 
since  found  some  part  of  the  truth  of  this ; 
but  I  dared  not  tell  her,  fur  the  band  of  my 


250 


service  forbade  that  I  should  so  betray  my  mas- 
ter." 

"A  quaint  philosophy,  and  worthy  of  Barab- 
bas  ;  but  go  on." 

"  By  many  small  services  I  won  her  to  believe 
me  to  be  her  faithful  servant,  and  such  indeed  I 
have  been.  One  night,  some  time  after  ye  came, 
I  was  brought  to  her  presence  by  a  signal,  which 
I  need  not  stay  to  describe,  but  which  I  wxel 
understood.  The  secret  passage  ye  saw  the  last 
time  ye  were  at  the  castle  took  me  to  the  para- 
pet without  the  knowledge  of  any  but  this  lady. 
I  found  her  in  great  trouble,  for  she  had  but  just 
learnit  that  the  King  had  promised  ni}^  master, 
the  Earl  of  xlrran,  that  he  should  have  the  gift 
of  her  marriage  so  soon  as  he  had  recovered  a 
certain  chain  and  jewel  which  he  had  lost.  It 
marvelled  me  that  the  news  should  so  upset  her, 
for  surely  it  were  better  for  a  lass  to  be  well 
married  than  mewed  up  in  Ruthven  Castle." 

"  Go  on,  sir ;  it  is  not  given  to  you  to  know 
the  things  which  even  the  ancient  Solomon  could 
not  understand." 

"  My  marv^el  was  even  greater  when  I  heard 
that  she  had  given  the  chain  and  jew^el  to  you, 
believing  that  you  would  deliver  it  to  his  High- 
ness the  following  morning,  but  knowing  not  that 
she  had  sealed  her  own  fate.     So  great  was  her 


251 


distress  that  I  bethought  me  of  an  expedient, 
which  I  own  was  very  hazardous;  but  to  her  I 
said  nothing  beyond  this,  that  if  she  would  lend 
me  the  chain  of  calcedonies  about  her  neck  I 
would  serve  her  to  some  purpose.  In  the  end 
I  got  the  chain,  but  before  I  came  so  far  I  was 
fain  to  promise  that  not  a  hair  of  3'our  head 
should  suffer  through  what  I  was  in  purpose 
to  do. 

"  Now  ye  may  guess  in  part  what  I  did.  I 
knew  my  Lord  had  written  two  letters — one  to 
be  carried  by  you,  sir,  to  the  King,  the  other  to 
be  delivered  by  Joshua  Henderson  to  the  Laird 
of  Kilsyth.  But  I  knew  also  the  habit  of  my 
Lord  ;  and  having  taken  a  squint  at  the  letter  to 
the  Laird  of  Kilsyth,  I  altered  the  direction,  and 
placed  it  in  your  breast  at  the  same  moment 
when  I  took  from  ye  the  other  letter." 

"  You  are  an  accursed  thief !" 

"But  I  did  waur  nor  that.  To  change  the 
letters  was  nothing ;  there  is  no  a  ryper  in  the 
country  who  can  touch  me  for  nimbleness  and 
softness  of  finger.  But  what  I  did  further  I 
could  scarce  have  done  had  ye  not  fallen  into  a 
very  deep  and  sound  sleep.  For  I  drew  the  gold 
chain  with  the  X  Jewel  from  your  craig  and 
put  the  calcedonies  in  its  ])lace.'' 

"  You  scoundrel !    Know  you  not  that  you  dis- 


253 


obliged  his  Highness,  while  you  robbed  me  of 
the  credit  I  might  have  won,  and  put  me  to  some 
shame  in  the  presence  of  my  Prince  ?" 

"  In  truth,  I  ken  it,  sir ;  but  I  also  ken  that  I 
saved  my  young  lady  from  a  marriage  which 
filled  her  with  disgust." 

"Aye,"  said  I  —  I  had  not  thought  of  that — 
"  so  you  did,  man  ;  so  you  did.  And — I  will  not 
say  you  did  wrong.  Tliere,  I  call  back  my  hard 
words  to  you.  But  you  have  more  to  tell  me. 
I  will  hear  you  out.     Where  is  she  ?" 

"  I  may  tell  ye  now  without  harm  that  she 
escapit  from  the  castle  on  the  night  of  the  fire 
to  the  house  of  one  of  her  father's  tenants.  It 
was  for  my  part  in  that  that  I  was  scourgit  at 
Stirling,  but  I  would  bear  much  mair  nor  that 
for  her.  If  she  had  keepit  close  none  would 
have  known,  but  she  was  possessed  with  the 
thought  that  her  father  Avas  at  the  Fastcastle, 
and  when  she  began  to  inquire  about  it  Captain 
James  and  his  spouse  got  knowledge  of  where 
she  was,  and  carried  her  off  to  Kinneil.  But  I 
have  waur  still  to  tell;  for  Captain* James,  ei- 
ther because  he  is  angered  at  the  lady's  spirit,  or 
that  he  hopes  to  get  news  of  the  King's  jev/el 
from  her,  has  carried  her  with  him  to  Stirling ; 
and  folk  have  said  that  he  will  take  her  with 
him  to  France  in  the  ship  which  awaiteth  him 


253 


on  the  western  coast.  It  was  tliis  news  that 
made  me  beg  leave  to  carry  the  letter  to  ye ;  for 
I  believe  not  indeed,  Captain  Eviot,  that  yc  will 
desert  the  poor  lass  in  this  strait." 

"  No,  no ;  that  indeed  I  will  not.  But  you 
have  not  finished  your  tale,  man  ;  for  one  thing 
you  have  forgotten  to  tell  me.  Where  is  the 
jewel  ?" 

The  man  looked  embarrassed,  and  cast  his  ej-'es 
on  the  ground  ;  but  he  answered  me  : 

"  As  I  told  ye  before,  the  jewel  is  in  sure  keep- 
ing ;  and  I  promise  ye  that  when  Captain  James 
is  safe  I  will  deliver  it  to  ye,  and  to  no  one  else. 
More  than  that  I  canna  say." 

I  knew  this  man  to  be  as  obstinate  as  a  mule, 
and  I  was  in  the  mind  to  take  his  promise  ;  for 
though  his  philosophy  of  service  was  all  his  own, 
there  was  one  person  to  whom,  as  it  seemed,  he 
had  been  a  faithful  servant. 

"  I  will  take  your  word,"  said  I,  "  for  what  it 
is  worth,  and  your  body  as  security  for  it ;  for  as 
I  ride  to  -  morrow  morning  you  shall  ride  with 
me,  and  part  not  with  me  until  the  delivery  is 
complete.  But  I  warn  you  that  there  is  one  who 
will  not  take  your  conditions  as  kindly  as  I  have." 

"  So  be  it,  sir ;  I  canna  mend  it.  The  lass  shall 
get  no  harm  through  any  faintncss  of  heart  in 
me." 


254 


So  we  rode  on  the  following  morning  to  Kelso, 
where  a  great  company  was  met  to  welcome  the 
banished  Lords ;  and,  as  all  know,  Ave  marched 
from  thence  to  Falkirk  without  hinderance.  A 
force  of  five  hundred  picked  horsemen  was  ap- 
pointed to  look  to  it  in  especial  that  neither  his 
Highness  nor  my  Lord  of  Arran  should  make 
his  escape ;  and  having  my  own  purposes  in 
view,  I  prevailed  that  I  might  be  joined  with 
this  force.  From  Falkirk  we  made  a  rapid  de- 
scent upon  Kinneil,  but  found  that  my  Lady 
had  gone  towards  Edinburgh  ;  and,  as  Barabbas 
had  told  me,  Jean  Uchiltrie  had  been  carried  to 
Stirling  by  my  Lord. 

By  the  evening  of  the  2d  of  November  we 
came,  being  now  grown  to  a  great  army,  to  St. 
Ninian's  Chapel,  which  is  but  a  mile  from  Stir- 
ling. And  all  that  night  my  Lord  of  Arran 
watched  upon  the  walls,  for  he  feared  those  that 
were  within  more  than  all  the  host  without. 
But  when  the  day  came  we  entered  the  town 
by  a  close  above  the  West  Port ;  and  though 
the  Colonel  offered  a  sharp  resistance  for  a 
space,  the  Earl  of  Arran's  men,  having  little 
stomach  for  the  work,  retired  into  the  castle. 
The  town  being  in  this  way  free  of  the  contrary 
party,  and  our  soldiers  occupied  in  securing  their 
positions,  there  was  great  reiving  of  horses  and 


goods  by  Will  Kinmonth's  bairns,  who  regarded 
neither  friend  nor  foe  in  this  pursuit  of  their 
trade.  And  I  have  since  heard  that  my  old 
friend  Peter  Bell  v.'as  behind  nobody  in  the  zeal 
with  which  this  free  comraerce  was  prosecuted. 

The  place  was  tlius  practically  gained,  for 
those  within  the  castle  were  divided,  the  Master 
of  Gray,  Sir  John  Maitland,  and  the  Lord  Jus- 
tice-Clerk being  in  effect  of  our  own  party. 
Moreover,  had  it  been  otherwise,  its  reduction 
■was  only  a  matter  of  da3's.  But  the  castle  being, 
as  one  expressed  it,  "rammed  full  in  a  manner 
of  great  personages,"  our  leaders  were  not  will- 
ing to  let  any  of  them  escape. 

It  chanced  that  it  was  known  to  several  Avho 
were  with  us  that  there  was  a  secret  postern  on 
the  western  wing  of  the  castle ;  and  care  having 
been  taken  to  block  this  exit,  a  strong  force  was 
posted  hard  by  it,  in  which  by  good-fortune  my 
company  was  included.  For  there  were  still 
fears  that  Arran  might  abscond,  and  take  with 
him  the  King,  because  the  ships  still  lay  on  the 
"West  Sea  which  should  have  carried  them  to 
France. 

Having  heavily  barricaded  this  postern  with 
brushwood  and  branches  of  trees,  the  main  body 
of  our  company  retired  a  little  space,  leaving  a 
small   number   for   immediate  guard   upon  the 


256 


spot.  After  we  had  lain  there  some  two  hours 
or  more  there  came  a  sort  of  movement  on  the 
inside  of  the  postern,  and  I  crept  up  close,  the 
better  to  listen.  I  heard  the  irons  put  into  the 
lock,  and  the  plain  sound  as  of  one  trying  to 
push  the  gate  open.  As  that  succeeded  not,  there 
followed  some  whispering,  the  intent  of  which 
reached  not  my  ears.  Then  I  heard  a  low,  meas- 
ured voice  which  I  could  not  mistake  say : 

"  A  bonny  posture  this  for  a  crowned  and 
anointed  King !" 

I  ventured  thereupon  to  say,  in  a  voice  to  be 
heard  of  him  who  had  spoken : 

"  Was  that  his  Majesty  who  spoke  ?" 

"  That  it  was,"  was  the  reply,  "  whoever  ye 
may  be.  And  a  sad  place  we  are  in  for  a  born 
Prince.  Who  may  ye  be,  man  ?  What  do  they 
ca'  ye  ?" 

"  Even  Andrew  Eviot,  sir,  your  own  loyal 
subject,  whom  ye  may  not  have  forgotten." 

"  We  forget  no  loyal  subject,  sir.  But  what 
kind  of  loyalty  ca'  ye  this  ?  Canna  ye  open  the 
yett,  man  ?  I  charge  ye,  Andrew,  upon  your 
loyalty,  open  the  yett." 

"  I  cannot  do  it,  sir,"  I  said  ;  and  I  added,  with 
a  certain  amount  of  hypocris}^,  "  I  would  do  it 
fast  enough  if  I  could ;  but  it  would  give  me  an 
hour's  hard  work  to  clear  away  the  barricade, 


257 


and  long  before  that  I  should  have  a  dozen 
swords  inside  me." 

'•Then  Avho  is  in  command  here?  Bid  him 
speak  with  us  without  delay." 

"  The  Master  of  Glamis  commands  us."  I  was 
in  error  here,  as  I  discovered  afterwards  ;  but  it 
was  a  lucky  mistake,  for  the  reply  it  produced 
was  : 

"  God  save  us !  Then  there  is  no  help,  for  yon 
is  a  hard-handed  man,  as  we  know  to  our  cost. 
But  I  looked  not  to  find  you  here,  Captain  An- 
drew, to  bar  our  path." 

"  I  am  not  here  for  any  such  purpose,  sir,  but 
to  render  you  a  token,"  and  I  clambered  over 
the  brushwood  and  presented  at  the  eye-hole 
through  which  his  Majesty  had  been  delivering 
himself  the  topaz  which  he  had  given  me  some 
months  before. 

"  What's  yon  ?  God's  banes !  what  is  it  ?  Aye, 
I  see  it  now.  And  it's  the  blithest  sign  we've 
geen  for  many  a  long  week.  It  almost  recon- 
ciles us  to —  And  where  is  yon.  Captain  An- 
drew, that  ye  wot  of,  for  I  take  it  by  this  sign 
that  it  is  in  safe  hands." 

"  I  have  the  surest  information  that  it  is  in 
safe  keeping,  but  I  cannot  obtain  possession  of 
it  from  those  who  have  it  until  my  Lord  of  Ar- 
ran  is  in  hand.''     Here  I  i)ut  the  matter  some- 

17 


258 


what  too  stiff,  but  I  had  an  eye  to  my  own  ob- 
ject. 

"  What !"  cried  the  King,  evidently  indignant, 
"  would  they  be  making  conditions  with  their 
lawful  Prince?" 

"  I^ay,  sir,"  said  I,  smiling  to  myself  as  I 
thought  of  the  conditions  his  own  nobles  would 
make  with  him  within  a  few  hours  ;  "  they  made 
conditions  with  me  which  they  would  not  vent- 
ure to  offer  to  your  Majesty." 

Here,  for  the  only  occasion  in  my  experience, 
the  King  lost  his  cue,  for,  excited  by  the  nature 
of  his  position  and  the  prospect  of  recovering 
his  jewel,  he  cried  out : 

"  But  they'll  never  have  him  in  hand.  He's 
gone  man — clean  gone !" 

"  Gone  ?"  said  I,  amazed. 

"  Aye,  gone  by  the  North  Yett  over  the  Brig." 

Never  did  subject  run  from  his  native  Prince 
as  I  ran  from  that  postern.  As  my  arms  were 
long,  so  were  my  legs,  and  as  my  wind  was 
good  I  ran  fast,  holding  my  sword  by  the  scab- 
bard. 

When  I. came  in  sight  of  the  river  the  light 
was  beginning  to  fail ;  but  my  eyes  were  good, 
and  I  could  see  some  horses  under  a  clump  of 
trees  on  the  far  side.  That  gave  me  hope  that 
I  was  not  too  late.     As  I  came  nearer  I  made 


259 


out  four  horses,  one  man,  and  what  appeared  to 
be  two  women.  I  was  now  descending  the 
bank  to  the  river  when  a  boat  shot  out  from 
the  river-side.  There  was  one  man  in  it,  who 
rowed  himself  across.  When  he  was  half-way 
over  he  paused  to  throw  something  into  the 
stream,  and  when  he  landed  on  the  other  side 
he  made  the  boat  fast  to  the  stump  of  a  tree 
and  threw  the  oars  into  the  river.  There  was 
no  mistaking  the  tall,  powerful  frame  of  Cap- 
tain James. 

While  I  took  all  this  in  I  had  noticed  that  the 
stream  was  somewhat  swollen  by  the  autumn 
rains  and  the  current  strong.  So  I  altered  my 
course  and  struck  the  water  some  seventy  yards 
above  the  point  from  which  the  boat  put  off.  I 
lost  no  time  in  throwing  off  my  armor,  and,  dis- 
carding my  pistols,  committed  myself  to  the 
stream. 

It  chanced  that  I  took  the  water  at  the  mo- 
ment when  the  fugitive  was  engaged  in  tying 
up  the  boat,  so  that  he  saw  me  not.  But  it 
seems  that  I  was  seen  by  Joshua  Henderson, 
Avho  stood  by  the  horses  under  the  trees,  for  he 
ran  hurriedly  down  to  the  e(\ge  of  the  stream 
and  pointed  to  me.  Then  both  men  drew  their 
pistols,  and  presently  I  heard  the  bullets  cut  the 
water  near  me ;  but  the  distance  was  too  great 


260 


for  a  sure  aim,  and.  they  seemed  to  wait  for  my 
landing,  walking  down  the  bank  to  meet  me  as  I 
came  ashore. 

Then  for  the  first  time  I  began  to  think  I  had 
been  too  foolhardy  ;  but  it  was  no  time  to  think, 
and  I  put  the  thought  from  me. 

While  they  were  firing  at  me  I  swam  with 
my  head  up-stream,  and,  as  I  still  wore  my  steel 
bonnet,  kept  my  face  averted  from  the  opposite 
shore,  hoping  in  that  way  to  escape  a  bullet 
through  the  brain.  Now  for  a  brief  space  I 
turned  my  head  again,  and  I  saw  what  the  two 
men  who  watched  me  could  not  see.  A  figure 
stole  out  from  the  gloom  of  the  trees,  loosened 
the  boat  from  the  stump  which  held  it,  sprang 
into  it,  and  with  one  push  sent  it  out  into  the 
stream.  By  this  time  I  was  more  than  half- 
way across,  and  the  current  Avas  bearing  me 
Avitli  fatal  precision  to  the  spot  where  stood  my 
Lord  of  Arran  and  his  man.  When  I  saw  the 
boat  drifting  towards  me,  and  could  no  longer 
mistake  the  woman  wlio  had  set  it  loose,  I  had 
a  difl'erent  mind.  Timing  the  speed  of  the  cur- 
rent as  well  as  I  might,  I  swam  so  as  to  catch 
the  boat  as  it  passed  me ;  but  I  might  have 
missed  it  after  all  ray  endeavors  but  that  a  hand 
wliich  I  well  know  came  forth  to  save  mo. 
With  iriiinitc  dinicidty,  and  no  small  danger  of 


261 


swamping  the  boat  —  for  my  dress  was  heavy 
and  full  of  water,  and  my  arms  sadly  in  the  way 
— I  clambered  over  the  gunwale.  But  as  I 
cleared  the  edge  of  it  I  felt  a  sharp  sting  on  the 
back  of  the  neck,  and  I  sank  down  into  the 
bottom  of  the  boat. 

There  was  a  strange  sound.  It  said  "  gurgle, 
gurgle,  gurgle."  It  came  at  intervals ;  it  went 
on  for  a  long  time — a  very  long  time.  "Would  it 
never  stop  ?     It  wearied  me. 

Then  there  was  a  "  lap,  lap,  lapping,"  which 
came  with  the  gurgling  sound ;  and  finally  the 
gurgling  ceased,  and  there  was  nothing  but  "  lap, 
lap,  lap" — at  Hrst  very  faint.  And  I  was  glad, 
for  the  gurgling  sound  pained  me. 

Then  the  lapping  grew  louder,  and  I  liked  it 
not  so  well.  And  it  grew  still  louder,  and  in- 
flicted such  torture  upon  me  as  I  have  no  words 
to  express.  By  degrees  it  became  louder  and 
louder,  until  methought  the  sound  had  destroyed 
the  sense  of  hearing.  And,  as  it  seemed  to  me, 
I  awoke  as  from  a  hideous  dream.  But  it  was 
dark.  I  tried  to  speak,  and  my  voice  sounded 
as  a  whisper.  But  I  did  say,  for  I  heard  the 
words : 

"  Where  am  I  ?" 

And  a  voice,  which  seemed  to  come  from  long 


263 


ago,  and  had  been  with  me  night  and  day  for 
many  months,  said : 


"Upon  the  sea, 
Alone  with  me." 


THE    END 


By   a.   CONAN   DOYLE 


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the  publishers,  postage  prepaid,  on  receipt  of  the  price. 


By   CHAKLES   DUDLEY   WARNER 


The  Golden  House.     Illustrated  by  W.  T.  Smed- 
LEY.     Post  8vo,  Ornamental  Half  Leather,  Un- 
cut Edges  and  Gilt  Top,  $2  00. 
It  is  a  strong,  individual,  and  very  serious  consideration 
of  life ;  mucii  more  serious,  mucli  deeper  in  tiiought,  tlian  the 
New  Yorlv  novel  is  wont  to  be.     It  is  worthy  of  companion- 
ship witli  its  predecessor,  "A  Little  Journey  in  the  World," 
and  keeps  Mr.  Warner  well  in  the  front  rank  of  philosopliic 
students  of  tlie  tendencies  of  our  civilization. — Springfield  He- 
publican. 

A  Little  Journey  in  the  World.  A  Novel. 
Post  8vo,  Half  Leather,  Uncut  Edges  and  Gilt 
Top,  $1   50-,  Paper,  75  cents. 

Their  Pilgrimage.  Illustrated  by  C.  S.  Rein- 
hart.  Post  8vo,  Half  Leather,  Uncut  Edges 
and  Gilt  Top,  $2  00. 

Studies  in  the  South  and  West,  with  Comments 
on  Canada.  Post  Bvo,  Half  Leather,  Uncut 
Edges  and  Gilt  Top,  $1  75. 

Our  Italy.     Illustrated.     Bvo,  Cloth,  Ornamental, 

Uncut  Edges  and  Gilt  Top,  $2  50. 
As    We    Go.      With    Portrait    and    Illustrations. 

16mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1   00.      ("  Harper's 

American  Essayists.") 

As  We  Were  Saying.  With  Portrait  and  Il- 
lustrations. IGmo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1  00. 
("  Harper's  American  Essayists.") 

The  Work  of  Washington  Irving.  With  Por- 
traits.     32mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  50  cents. 


PrBLisHED  BY  HARPER   &   BROTHERS,  New  York. 
ffS'The  above  marks  are  fur  sa/e  by  all  buokKellers,  or  will  ba 
sent  by  the  publishers  bij  mail,  postage  ■prepaid,  to  any  part  of  the 
United  States,  Canada,  or  Mexico,  on  receipt  of  the  price. 


T\A  L  '■/ 


\\fY205  02044 


